Skip to main content

Full text of "The Improvement Era"

See other formats 


rC 


>s 


-&SS, 


*UV«UUAWB.i^Wr-W7JJ.WS*J!A-WJJ.,iWilJJ*t'W. 


Tfi.uijiu.il  m 


pmwiwfww' 


u 


7 


w«A»»!»m»!ww»mwwT»«n"»WBW^ 


Vol.  32        JANUARY,   1929  No.  3 

Faithful  Unto  Death 


DAVID  O.  McKAY 

Sinking  of  the  Vestris 

DAVID  H.  HUISH 

Herbert  Hoover 

mary  c.  kimball 

Joseph  Smith  Memorial  Farm 

angus  j.  cannon 

Jewish  State  in  Palestine 

h.  c.  singer 

Stories — Weather  Forecasts — 

The  Breakaway 

annie  d.  palmer— harold  thorpe 


jtM^iiinMiannriiiiiniiir 

.   .    .  T   -   T   '    .     .     .    .   '-    V.     ,     )     .     .■  J*-^ 


|kv.-'.-v.::'  op  !^TW.:®^:\^.i^TOH(.Uiji 


SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  LINES 

OFFER 

SPECIAL  WINTER 

EXCURSION  FARES 


$50.50 
$58.00 


FROM  SALT  LAKE  CITY  OR  Oi 

TO  LOS  ANGELES  AND  RETURN  BOTH  WAYS  VIA 
SAN  FRANCISCO 

TO  LOS  ANGELES  VIA  SAN  FRANCISCO  RETURNING 
DIRECT  OR  ROUTE  REVERSED 

Proportionately  low  fares  from  all  other  points  in  UTAH,  IDAHO  and  MONTANA 
STOPOVERS  ALLOWED  AT  ALL  POINTS 

TICKETS  ON  SALE  DAILY  COMMENCING  OCTOBER  1ST 
FINAL  RETURN  LIMIT  8  MONTHS  FROM  DATE  OF  SALE 

For  further  information  CALL,  WRITE  or  PHONE 

PRESS  BANCROFT,  GENERAL  AGENT 

41  SO.  MAIN  ST.  SALT  LAKE  CITY 

PHONE  WASATCH  3008—3078 


Never  Too  Busy 

For  Personal  Attention- 


—OUR  STUDENTS'  SUCCESS  IS  OUR 
BIGGEST  ASSET 


L.  D.  S.  Business  College 

ENROLL  ANY  MONDAY 


WHEN  WRITING  TO   ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION    THE   IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


Home  Electric 
Service— 

SAVES  LABOR,  TIME,  ENERGY,  WORRY 
AND  MONEY 

— and  makes  the  home  a  pleasanter 

and  happier  place  to 

LIVE  in. 

We  invite  you  to  come  to  any  of  our  stores  to 
inspect  the  large  variety  of  electric  servants  avail- 
able. There  are  certainly  some  that  you  will 
want. 

Utah  Power  &  Light  Co. 

Efficient  Public  Service 


Family  trees  aren't  like  others.  In  others,  appearance  of  the  sap  is  an 
indication  of  continued  vigor. — Washington  Post. 

*  *      *      * 

My  mother  will  be  surprised  when  she  gets  my  letter.  "August,"  she 
used  to  say.  "you  are  so  stupid  that  you  will  never  get  a  job,"  and  in  the  last 
month  I  have  had  six. — Lustige  Welt   {Berlin) . 

*  *      *      * 

Motorist  (held  up  for  speeding) — "I  was  hurrying  up  town  to  see  my 
lawyer." 

Traffic  Cop  (writing  his  ticket)- — "Well,  you'll  have  some  more  news 
for  him  now." — London  Humorist. 


Elias  Morris  &  Sons  Co. 


GEO.  Q.   MORRIS,  Manager 


Mantels,    Tiles    and    Memorials 
Set    in    All   Parts    of  the    West 


'Where  the  Fire  Burns" 


Write  for  Information 

21  West  South  Temple  St.,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


WHEN   WRITING  TO  ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION   THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


EASY  TERMS 


$ 


107 


<ASY  TERMS 


Buys  Complete 

Home 

Motion  Picture  Outfit 


Why  not  use  this  in  genealogical  work — 
Get  a  LIVING  record   of  the  Family? 

NOT  a  toy  but  a  practical  camera  for  grown-ups — so  easy  and  simple  to  oper- 
ate that  a  child  can   handle   it. 

Think  of  the  thrill  you'll  get  taking  your  own  motion  pictures  in  and  around 
your  own  home — your  friends'  homes  or  on  your  trips.  SAME  LENS  TAKES  and 
PROJECTS  PICTURES. 


Our  expert  cinematog- 
rapher,  in  charge  of  this 
dept.,  will  be  glad  to 
give  you  expert  advice 
in  the  selection  of  a 
camera  and  in  taking 
your   own   pictures. 

VERY   COMPACT! 

Complete   in    carry- 


mi 


case 


larger  than   a   port 


able   phonograph 


Operates 

From 

Light  Socket 

When    Projecting 


WRITE  FOR  FREE  POSTPAID  CATALOG 

DAYNES-BEEBE  MUSIC  CO. 

"Older  Than  The  State  of  Utah" 
61  TO  65  SOUTH  MAIN  STREET,  SALT  LAKE 


WHEN   WRITING  TO   ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION   THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


"  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 

JANUARY,    1929 

Pres.  Heber  J.  Grant       Hugh  J.  Cannon 
Editor  Associate  Editor 

Melvin  J.  Ballard,  Business  Manager 


9)  Off 


Organ   of   the   Priesthood   Quorums,    the   Young   Men's 

Mutual  Improvement  Associations  and  the  Schools  of 

the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 

CONTENTS 

Point  Lobos,  California         - Frontispiece 

A  Picture  in  My  Memory        ......        cien  Perrins  177 

Faithful  unto  Death      -  David  O.  McKay  179 

Sunshine  and  Shadow.     A  Poem     -         -         -         -        a.  Henderson  184 

Sinking  of  the  "Vestris"         -         -  -         David  H.  Huish  185 

Rareness  in  Design      -        -  -        -        Dorothy  C.  Retsloff  188 

Interview  with  Seaman  Maurice  Howe    -        -        -        Glen  Perrins  189 
The  Joseph  Smith  Memorial  Farm.  Illustrated  -  Angus  J.  Cannon  195 
Repentance.     A  Poem        -  William  Sykes  198 

A  Relative  of  Nancy  Hanks  Carries  On  Prof.  H.  R.  Merrill  199 

The  Jewish  State  in  Palestine     -  H.  C.  Singer  202 

Soul  Moonbeams,     a  Poem  -        -  -        -        Lloyd  O.  Ivie  209 

Why  Should  I  Be  Law-Observing?  -        -  Delbert  V .  Groberg  210 

Lessons  from  Common  Things — I.     Water     -     Dr.  Franklin  s.  Harris  213 
Winter's  Many  Blessings.     A  Poem  -  David  Archibald  215 

Herbert  Hoover Mary  c.  Kimball  216 

"PEACE  Be  UNTO  YOU"  ....  Joseph  S.  Peery   220 

Giant  Lizards  of  Panama.     Illustrated     -  Harold  L.  Snow  221 

THE  MOCKING  BIRD.      A  POEM        -  Joseph  Longking  Townsend   223 

Adventure  with  a  Rattlesnake                 -  Elmer  A.  Graff  224 

Enlisted  Soldiers  of  Our  Forests        -        -  -        Wreno  Bowers  225 

The  Breakaway.     A  Story        ....  Harold  Thorpe  227 

Weather  Forecasts.     A  Story        -        -  -        Annie  D.  Palmer  230 

Loved  Companions.     A  Poem  -        -        -  Samuel  B.  M it ton  235 

Messages  from  the  Missions.     Illustrated  -  23  6 

THE  ONE Frederick    W.    Robertson  243 

Editors'  Table — The  Returned  Missionary     -        -  244 

Books  -  ......  246 

Leadership  Week  at  B.  Y.  U.     -  -  246 

Priesthood  Quorums 247 

Mutual  Work  .-....-  249 

JOHN  MILTON.      A  POEM  ....  Helen  Kimball  Orgill  261 

Passing  Events 262 

Entered  at  the  Post  Office.  Salt  Lake  City.  Utah,  as  second-class  matter.  Acceptance 
for  mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided  for  in  section  1103,  Act  of  October.  1917. 
authorized  on  July   2,    1918. 

Manuscripts  submitted  without  the  statement.  "At  usual  rates."  are  considered  free  con- 
tributions.     Photographs,   unless   their  return  is  especially  requested,   will  be   destroyed. 

Published  monthly  at  Salt  Lake  City:  $2  per  annum.  Address:  Room  406  Church 
Office  Building. 


EDITOR'S  ANNOUNCEMENTS 


Faithful  unto  Death,  is  the  title  of 
Elder  David  O.  McKay's  tribute  to  his 
beloved  friend  and  co-laborer  in  the 
mission  field,  Pres.  Joseph  Wilford 
Booth.  On  two  occasions  Brother 
McKay  visited  this  faithful  worker  in 
the  isolated  Armenian  mission  and  can 
speak  authoritatively  of  his  sterling 
qualities.  By  good  fortune  we  are  able 
to  present  to  our  readers  photographs 
of  the  five  heroes  who  have  laid  down 
their  lives  in  Palestine  and  Syria. 

The  Vestris  Disaster  is  described  in 
this  issue  by  Elder  David  H.  Huish, 
one  of  the  survivors.  His  description 
of  the  sinking  of  this  vessel  is  touch- 
ingly  graphic  in  its  simplicity.  One 
can  almost  see  the  helpless  people  strug- 
gling in  the  water.  This  article,  as 
well  as  that  on  the  same  subject  by 
Glen  Perrins,  should  not  be  over- 
looked. In  the  next  issue  we  will  have 
a  picture  and  a  brief  sketch  of  Elder 
Keith  W.  Burt,  who  lost  his  life  in  this 
wreck. 

Blind  and  without  hands,  N.  C. 
Hanks,  a  native  of  Utah,  has  made  a 
national  name  for  himself.  His  pluck 
is  an  inspiration  to  every  person 
acquainted  with  what  he  has  achieved 
in  spite  of  such  handicaps.  In  this 
issue  Prof.  H.  R.  Merrill  gives  a  brief 
but  interesting  account  of  this  remark- 
able man's  life. 

The  article  on  Herbert  Hoover,  by 
Mrs.  Mary  C.  Kimball,  commences  in 
this  number.  The  story  of  Mr. 
Hoover,  who  was  left  an  orphan  and 
in  poverty  at  a  tender  age,  and  who 
now,  scarcely  past  middle  life,  is  presi- 
dent-elect of  the  United  States,  reads 
like  a  romance.  This  will  prove  a  val- 
uable supplement  to  the  manual,  Cap- 
tains of  Industry.  The  final  install- 
ment will  appear  in  the  February 
number. 

Lessons  from  common  things.  Dr. 
F.  S.  Harris,  president  of  the  Brig- 
ham  Young  University,  treats  the  sub- 
ject of  water  as  the  first  of  a  number 
of  similar   articles  on  subjects  which 


are  before  us  all  the  time  but  about 
which  we  know  comparatively  little. 
This  and  the  articles  which  are  to  fol- 
low will  prove  profitable  to  all  who 
will  give  them  attention. 

The  Joseph  Smith  Memorial  Farm, 
birthplace  of  the  great  modern  prophet, 
will  always  be  regarded  as  a  shrine  by 
this  people.  An  excellent  description 
of  the  place,  and  a  tribute  to  Elder 
Junius  F.  Wells,  who  secured  title  to 
the  property,  supervised  the  erection 
of  the  Monument,  and  also  removed 
much  of  the  existing  prejudice,  will  be 
found  in  this  number. 

Inspired  by  the  same  spirit  which 
moved  the  people  of  Mar  Vista  ward 
to  such  remarkable  action,  members  of 
the  Tremonton  ward,  Bear  River  stake 
have  completed  a  chapel  cqsting  $65,- 
285.00,  with  only  one  assessment. 
The  building  was  begun  in  March, 
1928,  and  was  dedicated  November 
25,  1828,  by  President  Heber  J.  Grant. 
One  thousand  people  were  present  at 
the  dedicatory  services.  Bishop  James 
Walton  and  a  committee  of  twenty 
men  are  given  credit  for  the  efficient 
manner  in  which  the  chapel  was  erected 
and  paid  for,  and  the  fact  that  Sister 
Wilson,  a  widow,  donated  the  ground 
valued  at  $1,500.00  should  not  be 
overlooked. 

The  Jewish  State,  by  H.  C.  Singer, 
furnishes  a  good  description  of  the 
Zionist  movement  and  indicates  how 
the  Almighty  is  working  through  the 
nations  for  the  fulfillment  of  his  pur- 
poses. There  are  few,  if  any,  move- 
ments in  the  world  today  which  are 
attracting  more  attention  and  which 
are  more  worthy  of  note  than  is  the 
return  of  the  Jews  to  the  land  promised 
centuries  ago  to  their  fathers. 

The  attention  of  writers  is  again 
called  to  the  fact  that  but  one  month 
remains  for  them  to  finish  and  submit 
to  us  their  stories  in  competition  for 
the  prizes  of  $50  and  $25.  All 
manuscripts  must  be  in  our  hands  by 
February  1. 


A  Picture  in  my  Memory 

(5ee  Frontispiece} 

By  Glen  Perrins 

I    FELL  in  love  with  the  beauty  of  the  scene  the 
moment  I  saw  it. 

Looking  out  across  the  bay  in  northern  Cali- 
fornia I  sat  at  Secure  Point  Lobos,  one  of  the  loveliest 
spots  which  mark  the  Monterey  peninsula,  for  over  an 
hour — enraptured ! 

It  was  growing  dusk  and  I  watched  the  golden  sun 
sink  like  a  ball  of  fire  into  the  horizon.  Twilight  had 
settled  like  a  blanket  upon  this  picturesque  shore  line 
and  the  coolness  of  the  air  reminded  me  that  it  was  time 
to  leave. 

Before  going,  however,  I  looked  about  me,  studying 
the  detail  of  the  shore  line,  the  trees  and  the  colored  rocks 
and  listened  to  the  pounding  of  the  water  on  the  jagged 
cliffs  below  me. 

God  rs  good  to  us,  I  thought,  to  erect  such  beauties 
in  the  world.  When  shadows  come  I  often  sit  back  and 
dream,  recalling  this  scene  of  lovely  solitude — A  PICTURE 
In  My  Memory. 


z 

a. 
o 

u. 

Hi 
< 


o 
a 

o 


o 

Q. 


Improvement  Era 


t-AJ^-CXTl- 


Vol.  XXXII 


JANUARY,  1929 

Faithful  Unto  Death 


No.  3 


By  Elder  David  O.  McKay,  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 

IN  THE  bright  sunshine  of  a 
January  forenoon  in  the  year 
1924,  at  a  customs  house,  on 
the  coast  of  old  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
I  last  shook  hands  with  my  be- 
loved brother  and  esteemed  friend, 
President  Joseph  Wilford  Booth, 
of  the  Armenian  mission.  Little 
did  I  realize  then,  as  we  bade  each 
other  goodbye,  that  we  should 
never  in  this  life  see  each  other 
again!  That  that  was  our  final 
earthly  parting,  however,  is  at- 
tested by  the  recent  cablegram 
from  President  John  A.  Widtsoe, 
announcing  the  sudden  and 
wholly  unexpected  death  of  Elder 
Booth  on  December  5. 

At  that  farewell,  just  before 
I  entered  the  auto  bus  that  was  to 
take  me  to  Haifa,  my  friend  and 
I  embraced  each  other,  and  ex- 
changed a  mutual  "God  bless 
you!"  "I'm  sorry  to  have  you 
leave  me,  Brother  McKay,"  said 
he,  as  his  eyes  became  tear-dim- 
med, and  his  countenance  became 
saddened  by  a  shadow  of  sorrow. 
That  sentence  was  the  nearest  to 
a  complaint  that  I  ever  heard  El- 
der Booth  utter.  Through  that 
remark,  however,  and  the  look 
that  accompanied  it,  I  caught  a 
glimpse  of  a  noble  heart  longing 


President  Joseph  wilford  booth 

After  a  total  of  eighteen  years  of  service  in 
the  Turkish  and  Armenian  mission.  President 
Booth  has  been  given  his  final  release  from  his 
earthly  labors.  Needless  to  say.  it  was  a  highly 
honorable  one,  for  every  day  of  all  those  years 
was  filled  with  earnest,  conscientious  effort.  A 
few  days  prior  to  his  death  the  Era  received  a 
letter  from  President  Booth  in  which  he  outlined 
his  program  of  travel  for  the  ensuing  months. 
His  plan  was  to  visit  Church  members  in  Beirut. 
Damascus  and  Aleppo.  On  December  5.  he  died 
in  the  latter  city  and  was  buried  there. 

President  Booth  was  born  August  14.  1866. 
in  Alpine.  Utah  County,  Utah,  and  was  set  apart 
for  his  last  mission  Sept.  14.  1921,  and  left  for 
his  field  of  labor  on  the  same  day.  He  is  the 
fifth   missionary   to  die   in   the   Armenian   mission. 

Elder  Ralph  V.  Chisholm  was  sent  by  Pres- 
ident John  A.  Widtsoe  to  accompany  Sister  Booth 
home. 


180 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


for  companionship — the  companionship  and  strength  of  a  fellow- 
missionary  who  could  help  solve  perplexing  questions,  and  share 
the  heavy  burdens  incident)  and  peculiar  to  that  far-off  mission.  A 
few  minutes,  thereafter,  I  was  speeding  on  my  return  journey  to- 
ward England  to  rejoin  the  five  hundred  other  elders  then  laboring 
in  the  seven  missions  of  Europe.    Brother  Booth  returned  to  Aleppo 

alone,  for  Elder  Earl  B.  Snell, 
his  only  missionary  companion, 
had  been  honorably  released  to 
return  home,  and  no  other  mis- 
sionaries had  as  yet  been  called 
to  the  Armenian  mission.  For- 
tunately, President  Booth's  wife 
had  joined  him  just  ten  days  be- 
fore. Back  to  Sister  Booth  and 
to  the  Saints  he  loved,  he 
wended  his  solitary  way,  to 
work  out  alone,  under  God's 
guidance,  the  destiny  of  the 
mission  over  which  he  had  been 
called  to  preside. 

More  than  two  years  be- 
fore this  parting,  President 
Hugh  J.  Cannon  and  I  had 
miraculously  met  Brother  Booth 
at  Haifa,  when  we  were  all 
three  on  our  way  to  gather  and 
to  succor  the  scattered  Armenian 
Saints.  That  memorable  meet- 
ing was  about  2  p.  m.,  Novem- 
ber 4,  1921.  Brother  Booth's 
first  desire,  following  greetings 
and  explanations,  was  to  take 
us  to  visit  the  graves  of  Elders 
Adolph  Haag  and  John  A. 
Clark,  who  sleep  in  what  is 
known  as  the  German  cemetery, 
just  outside  Haifa.  Later,  in 
Aleppo,  we  visited  the  grave  of 
Elder  Emil  J.  Huber,  who  laid 
down  his  life  there.  Elder  Edgar  A.  Simmons  lies  buried  in  Aintab, 
but  we  had  no  opportunity  of  visiting  his  resting  place.  None  of 
us  imagined  then  that  President  Booth,  himself,  would  also  end 
his  earthly  labors  in  that  far-away  land. 


ELDER  EDGAR  DILWORTH  SIMMONS 

The  first  elder  to  die  in  the  Turkish  (now  the 
Armenian)  mission  was  Elder  Edgar  Dilworth  Sim- 
mons, who  arrived  in  the  field  July  9,  1889.  After 
studying  the  language  with  his  companion  for  a  few 
weeks  in  Aintab.  Syria,  he  was  left  alone,  and  in 
January.  1890.  was  taken  down  with  smallpox,  and 
after  fourteen  days,  with  only  native  friends  to  care 
for  him  as  best  they  could,  he  died,  on  February  4, 
1890.  He  was  buried  by  a  kind  Protestant  minister, 
known  as  Budville  Krihor.  A  suitable  monument  has 
been  placed  over  his  grave.  Elder  Simmons  was  2  6 
years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death. 


FAITHFUL    UNTO    DEATH 


181 


In  Vol.  12  of  the  Improvement  Era,  under  the  title  "Four 
Heroes  Far  Away,"  Brother  Booth  has  written  an  account  of  these 
brethren  and  their  heroic  deaths.  He  himself  now  brings  the  num- 
ber to  five. 

The  three  of  us  left  Haifa  for  Beirut,  a  few  hours  later,  where  we 
stayed  that  night. 

At  2:30  p.  m.,  November  8,  1921,  we  reached  Aintab.  The 
alacrity  with  which  the  Saints,  who,  like  hunted  hares,  were  living 
in  caves  and  ruined  houses,  became 
informed  of  our  coming,  is  still 
■an  unexplained  mystery  to  me; 
but  at  5  p.  m.  seventy-four  grate- 
ful people,  including  some  who 
were  not  yet  Church  members,  as- 
sembled in  a  fairly  commodious 
place  to  greet  us.  Only  those  who 
beheld  the  heartfelt  welcome 
which  that  people  gave  President 
Booth  can  realize  what  his  return 
to  them  meant.  One  kind  wom- 
an, whose  countenance  reflected 
deep  and  sincere  appreciation,  ex- 
pressed the  feeling  of  all  when  she 
said:  "For  seven  years  we've  been 
in  hell,  but  today  we  are  in 
heaven." 

That  evening  it  was  decided 
that  the  members  of  the  Church 
and  their  near  associates  should 
leave  Aintab  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. They  would  have  started 
that  night,  if  possible. 

Upon  Brother  Booth's  return 
to  Aleppo,  he  took  up  his  abode 
among  the  refugees,  and  began  to 
make  preparations  for  the  exodus 
from  Aintab,  eighty  miles  distant. 

What  difficulties  he  encoun- 
tered in  accomplishing  this  duty, 
perhaps  no  one  can  now  realize. 
There  were  carts  and  horses,  and 

other  transportation  facilities  to  secure.  There  was  permission  of 
a  not  too-favorable  government  to  obtain.  There  were  winter  rains 
and  cold  weather  to  endure,  and  muddy  roads  to  traverse. 

How  he  was  impressed  to  seek  the  aid  of  General  De  La  Mathe, 


ELDER  ADOLPH   HAAG 

This  brother  was  the  second  missionary  of  our 
Church  to  lay  down  his  life  in  the  Armenian  mis- 
sion. He  was  born  in  Stuttgart,  Germany.  Febru- 
ary 19,  1865,  and,  because  of  his  knowledge  of 
the  German  language,  was  appointed  to  labor 
among  the  people  of  that  race  in  Haifa.  Palestine. 
After  two  years  of  earnest  work,  he  was  stricken 
with  typhus,  from  which  he  died  October  3.  1892. 
Elder  Don  Carlos  Musscr.  then  president  of  the 
mission,  attended  to  his  burial.  An  appropriate 
monument  marks  his  resting  place. 


182 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


of  the  French  army,  who  issued  an  order  for  passports  for  fifty-three 
"Mormons"  to  come  out  of  Aintab;  how  Lieutenant  A.  P.  Guitton 
conveyed  President  Booth  from  Aleppo  to  Aintab,  furnishing  food, 
bedding  and  protection  free  of  charge;  how  the  little  colony  packed 
household  furniture  and  personal  belongings  on  the  mule-drawn 
vehicles  that  made  up  the  train  that  started  from  Aintab  to  Aleppo 
on  a  wet  December  day;  how  much  of  the  poor  but  treasured  house- 
hold articles  were  abandoned  by  the  roadside  to  lighten  the  mud- 
bedraggled  wagons;  how  the 
Saints  endured  the  exposure  in 
comparative  cheerfulness  be- 
cause they  were  going  to  safety; 
the  difficulties  of  housing  them 
after  their  arrival  in  Aleppo; 
all  these  experiences  though  un- 
pleasant and  full  of  anxiety 
were  cherished  memories,  during 
his  lifetime,  in  the  man's  mind 
who  alone  carried  the  worry 
and  responsibility  of  it  all! 
They  constitute  also  a  bit  of 
Church  history  that  merits 
proper  recognition,  and  which 
reflects  the  great  outstanding 
fact  that  the  intrepid,  unselfish 
missionary,  Joseph  Wilford 
Booth,  literally  gave  himself  to 
relieve,  comfort  and  cheer  a  peo- 
ple whom  he  loved. 

From  November,  1921, 
Elder  Booth  labored  constantly 
for  the  alleviation  and  better- 
ment of  the  members  of  the  mis- 
sion over  which  he  presided. 
For  over  a  year  he  labored  alone. 
April,  1923,  Elder  Earl  B.  Snell 
joined  him,  and  together  they 
worked  diligently  in  securing 
more  commodious  quarters  for 
the  colony,  in  teaching  and  in 
making  more  effective  for  good 
the  organizations  in  the  Aleppo 
branch.  In  the  renovating  and 
the  remodeling  of  the  large  house  rented,  these  two  dauntless  mis- 


Elder  John  a.  Clark 

Not  far  from  the  grave  of  Elder  Haag.  one  comes 
to  the  stone  which  informs  the  visitor  that  there  lies 
the  body  of  Elder  John  A.  Clark,  born  February 
2  8,  1871.  at  Farmington,  Utah.  He,  too.  died  at 
Haifa,  Palestine,  under  the  shadow  of  Mt.  Carmel 
and  overlooking  the  Mediterranean,  the  date  of  his 
demise  being  February  8,  1895.  This  elder  died  of 
smallpox,  and  from  the  fact  that  he  paid  ten  francs 
tithing  on  January  18.  and  that  his  name  appears 
again  on  the  tithing  record  on  January  26.  it  would 
seem    that  his   illness  was   not  of  long  duration. 


FAITHFUL    UNTO    DEATH 


185 


sionaries  not  only  directed  the  efforts  of  carpenters,  masons  and 
plasterers,  and  cement  mixers,  but  became  themselves  workers  in 
these  trades. 

But  the  greatest  results  of  this  devoted  service  are  seen  not 
in  material  things,  but  in  the  development  of  the  members  of  the 
branch.  To  one  who  saw  them  in  their  discouragement  and  distress 
in  1921,  the  change  wrought  is  wonderful.  It  is  true  that  from  a 
financial  standpoint  many  are  still  dependent,  and  are  yet  longing 
for  the  day  or  opportunity  to  come  when  they  can  earn  their  own 
livelihood  and  become  perma- 
nently assured  of  being  placed 
beyond  the  reach  of  dire  want; 
but  in  the  joy  of  association  in 
surroundings  of  safety,  in  the 
assurance  of  proper  care  and 
skill  in  times  of  sickness;  in  op- 
portunity for  mutual  helpful- 
ness, and  for  spiritual  growth 
and  enlightenment,  the  change 
which  was  brought  about  by 
their  mission  president  is  little 
short  of  a  transformation. 

No  wonder  the  people 
loved  him,  for  he  loved  them 
and  had  demonstrated  that  love 
throughout  eleven  years  of 
faithful  service,  to  which  he  has 
since  added  over  seven  years 
more — faithful  and  ever  solic- 
itous, even  unto  death! 

No  man  in  the  Church 
could  have  been  truer  to  his 
trust;  no  one  less  complaining; 
no  one  more  hopeful;  no  one 
more  self-denying;  no  one  more 
willing  to  sacrifice  personal  com- 
forts and  convenience  to  give 
aid  to  the  poor  and  unfortunate; 
no  one  more  ready  to  give  his 
life  for  his  friends  and  in  the 
service  of  his  God,  than  was 
President  Joseph  Wilford 
Booth. 

I  know  what  fond  wishes 
and  fervent  prayers  he  had  in  his  heart  as  he  left  me,  at  the  coast  of 


ELDER   EMIL   J.   HUBER 

The  fourth  missionary  to  pass  away  in  the  Armenian 
mission  was  Emil  J.  Hubcr,  who  sleeps  under  a  stately 
monument  in  Aleppo,  Syria,  at  which  place  he  died 
of  typhus  on  May  16,  1908.  He  was  of  Swiss 
parentage,  but  was  torn  in  Paris,  France.  March  7. 
1885.  He  had  labored  diligently  for  less  than  a  year 
when  death  overtook  him.  During  the  last  Sunday 
services  which  he  attended,  Elder  Huber,  bis  voice 
trembling  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  bore 
his  testimony,  and  among  other  things  said:  "I  know 
the  Gospel  is  true,  and  you  cannot  deny  it,  having 
heard  it  preached  by  a  humble  servant  of  the  Lord." 


184  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

Tyre  and  Sidon,  to  return  to  the  little  branch  at  Aleppo.  During 
the  nearly  five  intervening  years,  he  and  his  faithful  wife,  Sister 
Mary  R.  Booth,  have  labored  unceasingly  and  uncomplainingly  to 
make  real  their  cherished  hopes  and  desires  for  the  Armenian  mission. 
Every  day,  this  faithful,  intrepid  missionary,  following  in  the 
footsteps  of  his  Master,  "went  about  doing  good."  His  noble  soul 
was  actuated  by  this  high  motive  even  when  death  called.  It  was 
truly  with  an  upright  heart  that  President  Booth  met  this  relentless 
visitor,  whose  final  summons  he  would  answer  as  he  had  answered 
every  other  worthy  call  to  responsibility,  by  saying  cheerfully  and 
resolutely:     "I  am  ready." 

With  the  passing  of  President  Booth,  closes  another  important 
and  tragic  episode  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 

My  wish  for  my  esteemed  friend's  last  hours  and  my  present 
feeling  are  best  expressed  by  Byrant: 

"Death  should  come 
Gently  to  one  of  gentle  mould,  like  thee, 
As  light  winds,  wandering  through  groves  of  bloom. 
Detach  the  delicate  blossoms  from  the  tree, 
Close  thy  sweet  eyes  calmly,  and  without  pain. 
And  we  will  trust  in  God  to  see  thee  yet  again." 


Sunshine  and  Shadow 

In  the  dark  days  through  which  we  all  must  pass,  there  is,  though 
hidden  for  the  time,  a  shaft  of  golden  sunshine.  For  as  under  the  sodden, 
wind-swept  furrows  of  the  fields  in  early  springtime  the  fruits  of  the  harvest 
are  hlossoming  into  life,  so  beneath  the  shadows  of  life  God  is  ripening  for  us, 
by  the  sunshine  of  his  love,  his  harvest  of  nobler  purposes,  higher  hopes  and 
purer  desires. 

Then  when  the  sun  shines  out  from  a  rift  in  the  dark  cloud,  and  we  have 
yielded  our  souls  to  the  Heavenly  Husbandman,  we  notice  a  richer  glow  in  the 
things  which  our  faith  has  ripened  in  the  experience  of  the  Almighty  love,  to 
which  we  crept  for  shelter  from  the  shadows  that  weighed  us  down. 

Not  always  for  us  are  the  days  when  we  call  ourselves  happy  the  most 
happy,  for  when  enjoyment  is  our  special  concern,  there  seems  to  be  drifting 
through  it  the  shadow  of  discontent.  The  higher  conscience  finds  its  full  content 
only  when  we  are  quietly  filling  our  place  and  doing  our  duty — when  "each 
morning  sees  some  task  begun,  each  evening  sees  it  close." 

So,  rhrough  sunshine  and  shadow,  our  steps,  if  we  will  it  so  with  faithful 
diligence,  may  tend  ever  heavenward. 

Betvidere,    111.  A.    HENDERSON 


The  Sinking  of  the    'Vestris" 

By  David  H.  Huish 

IT  REQUIRES  but  1  i  1 1 1  e 
time  to  make  fast  friends  of 
people,  heretofore  unac- 
quainted, if  they  are  drawn  to- 
gether by  a  common  purpose. 
This  was  the  case  with  Elder 
Keith  W.  Burt  and  myself.  We 
met  at  the  Mission  Home  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  inasmuch  as  we 
had  been  assigned  to  the  same 
field,  the  South  American  mis- 
sion, a  deep  friendship  was  in- 
stantly formed.  As  days  passed, 
this  feeling  ripened  into  a  sin- 
cere love,  at  least  on  my  part, 
and  I  think  Elder  Burt  felt  the 
same  way. 

We  traveled  together  from 
Salt  Lake  City  to  New  York,  by 
way  of  Denver,  Chicago  and 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  spent 
two  and  a  half  days  looking 
over  our  nation's  greatest  city, 
and  boarded  the  S.  S.  Vestris 
about  2  p.  m.  on  Saturday, 
November  10,  and  immedi- 
ately saw  to  it  that  our  trunks 
and  baggage  were  taken  to  our 
room.  The  ship  left  Hoboken 
at  3:45  p.  m.  and  traveled  down  the  Hudson  river  to  the  ocean. 
Everybody  ate  supper  that  night,  although  some  of  us  didn't  feel 
like  eating  much.  Elder  Burt  and  I  went  up  to  our  room  after 
supper,  wrote  our  diaries  to  date,  and  also  wrote  letters  and  some 
postal  cards  to  our  loved  ones  at  home — which  never  reached  their 
destination.  Then  we  had  our  prayers  and  went  to  bed.  The 
boat  was  rocking  quite  a  bit,  taking  us  back  to  our  cradle  days, 
and  soon  we  feel  asleep. 

Sunday  morning  we  awoke,   had  our  prayers,   and   were  a 
little  hesitant  about  getting  off  our  beds  for  fear  of  becoming  sea- 


Elder  David  H.  Huish 


186  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

sick.  I  went  to  the  dining  room  and  tried  to  take  breakfast  but 
could  eat  only  a  grapefruit.  I  noticed  a  solemn  look  on  the  kitchen 
steward's  face  and  perspiration  on  his  forehead,  although  it  seemed 
cool  to  me.  The  ship  was  rocking  badly  and  it  was  a  hard  thing 
to  make  the  dishes  stay  in  place.  I  was  obliged  to  leave  the  table, 
was  dizzy  and  became  seasick — the  only  time  on  the  ship.  On  going 
back  to  our  room  I  found  that  Elder  Burt  had  been  sick  while  I 
was  gone,  and  he  was  ill  several  times  during  the  day.  The  ship 
listed  and  rocked  considerably,  so  we  stayed  on  our  beds  and  slept 
practically  all  day  Sunday,  our  main  reason  being  not  so  much 
sleepiness  as  fear  of  seasickness.  We  remained  in  bed  all  that  night, 
but  did  not  sleep  much.  It  was  a  hard  matter  for  me  to  stay  on 
the  bed,  due  to  the  list  and  rocking  of  the  ship.  We  had  stopped 
moving  forward  about  noon  Sunday  and  heard  the  men  bailing  and 
the  pumps  pumping  out  water.  The  captain  had  sent  out  an  S.  O.  S. 
that  morning  but  cancelled  jt  because  he  thought  he  could  handle 
the  situation.  We  knew  nothing  about  the  trouble  as  it  was  our 
first  trip  out  at  sea,  and  all  the  sailors  said  everything  would  be 
all  right.  I  sang  some  songs  and  played  a  few  tunes  on  my  har- 
monica. Elder  Burt  had  a  saxaphone  along  with  him.  He  took 
it  out  and  tried  to  play  a  few  pieces  but  found  that  it  had  a  few 
keys  out  of  commission.    So  ended  the  Sabbath  on  the  S.  S.  Vestris. 

Early  Monday  morning  we  arose  and  went  down  for  some 
breakfast.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  stand  up  in  the  halls,  and 
we  had  to  cling  to  the  railing  in  order  to  walk.  On  arriving  there, 
we  found  people  strung  around  on  the  floor,  sick  and  worn  out.  I 
asked  where  the  steward  was,  and  a  man  replied,  "They're  all  down 
in  the  coal  bunkers  bailing  out  water.  Wouldn't  you  rather  go 
without  your  breakfast  than  lose  your  life?"  This  was  the  first 
time  we  felt  any  alarm  at  our  prospect,  and  Elder  Burt  remarked, 
"This  is  getting  to  be  a  serious  matter;  something  is  dreadfully 
wrong."  We  didn't  get  any  breakfast,  so  we  went  up  to  the  parlor 
and  sat  for  a  while  and  listened  to  some  conversation,  which  was 
interesting  but  not  very  encouraging,  about  the  S.  O.  S.  being  sent 
out  and  cancelled,  about  the  ship  not  moving  forward,  and  the 
terrible  manner  in  which  it  listed.  We  went  back  to  our  room  and 
waited,  lying  flat  on  our  backs  to  avoid  sickness.  The  ship  was 
tipped  so  much  that  it  was  hardly  possible  to  stay  on  the  bed,  in 
spite  of  the  railing.  We  had  had  our  prayers  both  Sunday  night  and 
also  that  morning,  so  all  we  could  do  was  hope  and  trust  in  the  Lord. 

About  11:00  a.  m.  (ship  time)  we  heard  a  noise  in  the  hall, 
and  I  got  up  to  see  what  it  was  all  about.  There  were  some  colored 
passengers  on  the  ship  and  one  colored  woman  gasped  when  she  saw 
me,  "For  heaven's  sake,  boy,  get  out  of  your  room,  this  ship  is 


SINKING    OF    THE    "VESTRIS"  187 

going  to  sink."  I  asked  the  sailor  helping  her  if  we  should  take  our 
life  belts,  and  he  said,  "Oh,  I  guess  you'd  better  take  one  along  for 
safety,  but  I  don't  think  you  will  need  it."  So  we  pulled  down 
life  belts  and  started  to  leave  the  room,  Elder  Burt  remarked,  "We'd 
better  take  our  money  and  passports."  I  said,  "We  might  not  need 
them  any  more."  He  replied,  "Oh,  yes  we  will."  Then  we  got  them 
and  started  for  the  top  deck.  It  took  us  quite  a  while  to  get  there; 
sometimes  we  couldn't  climb  the  slant  of  the  ship  and  once  I  slipped 
and  was  thrown  against  a  chair  the  other  side  of  the  room  and 
broke  the  chair  into  pieces.  We  finally  reached  the  deck  and  had  to 
lean  against  the  wall  or  hold  to  the  railing  of  the  ship  in  order  to 
stand  up.  Even  ropes  were  used  to  help  people  from  the  stairways 
to  the  railing. 

We  watched  them  lower  the  life  boats,  which  they  did  with 
much  difficulty,  because  they  had  to  pry  the  boats  away  from  the 
side  of  the  ship,  due  to  the  list.  It  took  them  about  two  hours  to 
lower  the  boats.  I  asked  an  officer,  standing  near,  if  there  was  any 
danger  and  he  said,  "No,  the  ship  could  go  on  like  this  for  a  week 
probably."  It  sounded  like  a  fairy  tale  to  me  and  I  asked  him  why 
they  were  lowering  the  life  boats,  and  he  answered,  "Just  a  matter 
of  precaution."  Almost  all  the  passengers  were  attaching  their  life 
belts.  Elder  Burt  and  I  had  ours  on  over  our  overcoats.  About 
2:00  p.  m.  there  came  a  call  for  all  the  women  and  children  to  go 
on  the  first  life  boats,  which  were  loaded  with  a  few  sailors  and  let 
down  on  the  other  side  of  the  vessel,  which  was  almost  level  with 
the  water.  After  this  we  started  to  load  our  boats,  got  them  all 
loaded  and  two  of  them  cut  loose  and  away.  Elder  Burt  and  I  were 
sitting  side  by  side  in  No.  4  boat,  which  never  was  loosened  from 
the  ship,  as  the  vessel  started  to  sink  fast.  A  crowd  of  people  started 
to  run  for  our  boat  and  got  on  it,  but  immediately  we  saw  it  was 
still  tied  to  the  ship,  so  we  all  had  to  jump  out  and  take  to  the  water. 
Elder  Burt  was  a  little  ahead  of  me  and  I  believe  he  got  into  the  water, 
but  I  was  still  on  the  side  of  the  ship  when  it  went  down  and  a  big 
wave  came,  along  with  the  suction  of  the  ship,  and  took  me  under. 
While  in  the  water  I  caught  hold  of  a  panel,  the  bottom  of  a  life 
boat  or  something,  and  came  up.  I  looked  for  Elder  Burt  but  I  never 
saw  him  again.  I  floated  on  a  2  x  12  plank  for  a  few  minutes  and 
pretty  soon  a  life  boat,  No.  14,  came  somewhat  close  and  I  swam 
over  to  it  and  was  helped  in  the  boat.  We  picked  up  about  twelve 
more  people — 19  in  all.  I  looked  constantly  in  the  water  and  into 
theother  life  boats  for  Elder  Burt,  but  he  was  not  to  be  seen. 

The  waves  soon  drove  us  from  the  wreck:  we  had  no  rudder 
and  only  three  oars,  so  we  were  helpless  in  picking  up  any  more 
people.    The  water  was  warm  at  first,  but  towards  evening  it  became 


188  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

cold  and  I  never  shook  so  much  through  fear  of  facing  the  public 
as  I  did  during  that  night  from  cold.  We  drifted  all  night,  without 
any  flares  or  torpedoes.  Two  or  three  storms  came  up,  one  hail 
storm.  By  morning  the  waves  were  very  high  and  we  did  not  know 
at  any  time  whether  we  would  be  swallowed  up  or  not.  About 
11:00  p.  m.  at  night  came  our  first  hope,  when  we  saw  a  flash- 
light. The  ship  came  nearer  and  about  4:00  a.  m.  they  picked  up 
one  life  boat.  From  then  until  8:00  a.  m.,  we  drifted  and  were 
finally  picked  up  by  the  American  Shipper — the  last  of  the  five 
boats  that  this  ship  picked  up.  We  had  been  trying  all  the  time  to 
get  their  attention  with  a  flash-light  and  with  our  shouts,  but  to  no 
avail  until  after  dawn. 

They  gave  us  something  to  eat  on  the  ship,  and  a  place  to  get 
warm  and  to  dry  our  clothes.  They  searched  for  more  survivors  as 
long  as  there  was  any  hope  and  then  set  sail  for  New  York,  and 
arrived  here  about  9:00  a.  m.  We  were  treated  well  on  the  ship, 
but  slept  on  blankets  on  the  hard  floor  and  were  glad  to  get  that. 
Brothers  Steed  and  West  met  me  at  the  pier  and  brought  me  to  the 
mission  home  in  Brooklyn,  bought  me  clothes,  and  I'm  waiting  now 
for  further  instructions.  Elder  Burt  has  never  been  heard  of;  but  we 
acknowledge  that  God  can  over-rule  all  things  for  good.  I  am  very 
grateful  for  my  own  life,  but  am  very  sorry  for  the  loss  of  my 
beloved  companion. 


Rareness  in  Design 

Don't  count  your  troubles  unless  you  would  increase  them  many  per  cent. 
Trample  them  under  your  feet,  mix  them  with  the  leaf-mold  of  understanding. 

Don't  repeat  your  troubles.  Let  them  slip  away  like  a  leaf  in  a  current; 
they  will  soon  drift  into  the  forgotten  past. 

Don't  brood  over  your  troubles.  Let  them  pass  like  ghostly  steps  on  a 
dim-lighted  stair;  they  will  leave  no  mark,  stain,  nor  echo. 

Don't  remember  your  troubles.  Let  them  fly  as  swiftly  and  silently  as  a 
weaver's  thread;  view  them  safely,  perchance  they  were  sent  to  break  the  rapid 
flow  of  self-conceit's  river. 

Don't  review  your  troubles,  the  years  wing  swiftly.  Take  your  petty 
cares  and  annoyances  gracefully;  they  are  absolutely  necessary  to  make  life's 
fair  pattern  rarer  in  design  than  it  possibly  could  be  if  skies  were  always  blue 
and  cloudless. 

'San  Diego,  California  DOROTHY   C.    R.ETSLOFF 


"Religion  gives  man  courage.  I  mean  the  higher  moral  courage  which 
can  look  danger  in  the  face  unawed  and  undismayed;  the  courage  that  can  en- 
counter loss  of  ease,  of  wealth,  of  friends,  of  your  own  good  name;  the  courage 
that  can  face  a  world  full  of  howling  and  of  scorn — aye,  of  loathing  and  of 
hate;  can  see  all  this  with  a  smile,  and,  suffering  it  all,  can  still  toil  on,  con- 
scious of  the  result,  yet  fearless  still." — Theodore  Parker. 


T 


Interview  with  Seaman  Maurice  Howe 

By  Glen  Perrins 

r^HE  Vestris  sea  tragedy,  in  which  114  persons  lost  their 
lives,  might  have  been  averted  had  the  English  ship  observed 
the  regular  routine  aboard  American  ships,  according  to 
Maurice  Howe,  Ogden  newspaperman,  who  recently  returned  from 
a  voyage  to  South  America. 

Proper  precaution  for  the  saving  of  lives  in  case  of  shipwreck, 
in  contrast  to  what  seems  to  have  been  a  display  of  inefficiency,  is 
set  forth  by  Mr.  Howe,  who  pays  high  tribute  to  the  safety  rules  of 
American  ships. 

In  describing  the  manner  in  which  life  boats  are  handled  at 
sea,  the  general  rules  and  regulations  prescribed  by  the  board  of 
supervising  inspectors,  ocean  and  coastwise,  the  following  is  listed  as 
equipment  for  life  boats  by  U.  S.  government: 

A  properly  secured  life  line  the  entire  length  on  each  side. 

One  painter  of  manila  rope. 

A  full  complement  of  oars  and  two  spare  oars. 

One  set  and  a  half  of  thole  pins  or  rowlocks.  One  steering 
oar  with  rowlock  and  one  rudder  with  tiller  or  yoke. 

One  boat  hook  attached  to  a  staff  of  suitable  length. 

Two  life  preservers. 

Two  helmets. 

One  galvanized-iron  bucket  with  lanyard  attached. 

One  bailer. 

One  efficient  liquid  compass. 

One  lantern  containing  sufficient  oil  to  burn  at  least  nine  hours 
and  ready  for  instant  use. 

One  can  containing  one  gallon  of  illuminating  oil. 

One  box  of  friction  matches  wrapped  in  a  water-proof  package 
and  carried  in  a  box  secured  to  the  underside  of  boat. 

A  wooden  breaker  or  suitable  tank  fitted  with  siphon,  pump 
or  spigot  for  drawing  water,  and  containing  at  least  one  quart  of 
water  for  each  person. 

Two  enameled  drinking  cups. 

A  water-tight  receptacle  containing  two  pounds  of  provisions 
for  each  person.  These  provisions  may  be  hard  bread  or  U.  S.  army 
ration — any  emergency  ration  of  cereal  or  vegetable  compound  ap- 
proved or  used  by  the  army^or  navy,  but  no  ration  of  meat  or  any 
ration  requiring  saline  preservative  allowed. 


190  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

One  canvas  bag,  containing  sailmakers'  palm  and  needles,  sail 
twine,  marline,  and  marline  spike. 

A  water-tight  metal  case  containing  twelve  self-igniting  red 
lights  capable  of  burning  at  least  two  minutes. 

A  sea  anchor. 

A  vessel  containing  gallon  of  vegetable  or  animal  oil,  so  con- 
structed that  oil  can  be  easily  distributed  on  the  water  and  so  ar- 
ranged that  it  can  be  attached  to  the  anchor. 

A  mast  or  masts  with  one  good  sail  at  least. 

All  loose  equipment  must  be  securely  attached  to  boat. 

Life  boats  of  less  than  180  cubic  feet  capacity  on  pleasure 
steamers  are  not  required  to  be  thus  equipped. 

With  the  foregoing  general  rules  set  down  by  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment, and  being  strictly  observed,  sea  tragedies  may  be  averted. 

Howe  tells  of  life-boat  drill,  as  follows: 

Clang!  goes  the  ship's  bells  and  "whooooo"  goes  the  ship's 
whistle  as  the  alarm  is  given  to  stand  by  and  prepare  to  lower  the 
life  boats.  The  members  of  the  crew  rush  to  their  accustomed  posi- 
tions, each  to  his  assigned  task, — fulfilling  the  orders  given  by  the 
captain,  mates  and  other  officers  aboard  the  vessel.  The  gripes  are 
loosened,  the  boats  are  swung  out  on  the  davits  and  lowered.  A 
signal  is  given  and  the  boats  are  returned  to  their  positions  on  deck. 
All  is  completed  quickly  and  in  an  orderly  manner. 

Such  a  scene  is  part  of  the  regular  routine  abroad  American 
off-shore  ships  and  is  required  by  the  safety  laws  governing  U.  S. 
merchant  marine.  And  no  one  knows  when  the  weekly  life-boat 
drill  aboard  ship  may  suddenly  become  the  real  thing.  When  actual 
emergency  conditions  supplant  mere  practice  and  rigid  discipline 
must  prevent  confusion,  calm  heads  and  steady  hands  must  prevent 
loss  of  life. 

The  recent  tragedy  of  the  freight  and  passenger  steamer 
Vestris,  sinking  in  the  Atlantic  ocean  with  a  loss  of  114  lives, 
brings  to  attention  the  helplessness  of  persons  inexperienced  in 
danger,  coupled  with  a  lack  of  discipline,  lack  of  leadership  and  lack 
of  proper  equipment. 

American  ships  operate  under  the  strictest  laws  pertaining  to 
safety  of  any  nation  in  the  world,  and  failure  to  comply  will  bring 
penalties  for  the  master  and  the  owners. 

The  boats  were  swung  out.  Everything  was  observed  to  see 
if  they  were  in  good  working  order  as  a  precaution  against  emergency. 
The  boats  swung  back.  No  confusion,  no  disorder.  Each  man 
trained  to  his  duty. 

There  were  life  preservers  in  every  stateroom  and  in  the  fore- 
castle where  the  seamen  slept.     The  life  preservers  must  be  inspected 


INTERVIEW    WITH    SEAMAN   MAURICE    HOWE  191 

each  year  to  see  if  they  are  in  good  condition.  Most  life  preservers 
are  made  of  blocks  of  cork  or  other  light  material,  sewed  into  a 
sort  of  canvas  jacket  that  can  be  strapped  around  the  body.  The 
life  buoys,  shaped  like  an  automobile  tire,  usually  seen  fastened  to 
the  rails  along  the  decks,  are  painted  white  and  have  a  can  attached 
to  them  containing  a  chemical.  This-  will  ignite  and  burn  as  a  flare 
as  soon  as  it  touches  the  water.  In  case  a  man  falls  overboard  at 
night  or  in  foggy  weather,  someone  may  throw  him  a  life  buoy  for 
him  to  cling  to.  The  flare  will  burn  and  enable  him  to  be  found  after 
the  ship  is  stopped  and  a  boat  lowered.  Since  the  sea  all  looks 
alike,  it  would  be  impossible  to  locate  the  man  in  the  darkness 
without  the  aid  of  the  light.  The  same  holds  true  in  case  of  ship- 
wreck. The  chemical  in  the  cans  will  burn  for  several  hours  and 
passing  steamers  can  trace  the  survivors  by  means  of  the  glimmering 
flares. 

On  American  ships  engaged  in  off-shore  trade  the  crews  are 
made  up  of  a  certain  number  of  A.  B.  seamen  and  ordinary  seamen. 
Ordinary  seamen  get  about  $40  and  their  "mess"  per  month.  The 
A.  B.  seamen,  also  known  as  able-bodied  seamen,  get  about  $55 
and  "mess."  The  able-bodied  seamen  must  have  had  at  least  two 
years'  experience  and  a  life-boat  certificate,  or  one  year's  experience 
with  an  examination  and  a  certificate. 

Life-boat  certificates  are  issued  by  officers  of  the  coast  guard  to 
seamen  who  have  had  experience  in  handling  life  boats  and  their 
equipment,  and  on  passing  the  examination  at  the  coast  guard  station 
they  are  given  a  certificate  of  their  proficiency. 

Efficiency  is  the  watchword  aboard  American  ships  as  con- 
trasted with  inefficiency  of  the  ill-fated  Vestas.  If  the  officers 
really  did  fail  to  maintain  discipline,  they  were  at  fault;  if  the  captain 
really  did  fail  to  send  for  aid  when  aid  was  needed  twenty-four  hours 
before  the  ship  sank,  he  was  at  fault;  if  the  demoralized  and  un- 
trained crew  rowed  away  in  the  boats  leaving  helpless  people  to 
drown,  they  all,  officers  and  men,  committed  one  of  the  gravest 
offenses  against  the  law  of  the  sea.  Rather  they  should  have  died 
to  the  last  man  than  to  have  refused  aid  to  the  passengers.  Rather 
should  the  officers  have  held  the  crew  in  control,  if  need  be  at  gun 
point,  than  to  allow  them  to  abandon  women  and  children  to  the 
waves. 

One  wonders  what  the  captain  of  the  Vestris  could  tell  about 
the  matter.  An  SOS  message  sent  in  time  might  have  saved  every 
life.  The  law  of  the  sea  demands  that  a  distress  signal  be  heeded 
by  all  vessels  within  range. 

Most  distressing  are  the  stories  told  by  the  survivors  of  the 
rotten  lines  and  ropes,  casks  filled  with  salt  water  instead  of  fresh. 


192  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

rusted  match  and  rocket  boxes,  rotten  boat  material  and  unskilled 
seamen. 

On  most  American  ships  making  long  cruises  the  life  boats 
are  inspected  and  painted  each  voyage.  If  one  is  found  defective  it  is 
repaired  at  once.  The  United  States  rules  are  very  strict  regarding 
the  construction  and  buoyancy  of  life  boats.  Each  one  is  equipped 
with  water-tight  airfloats  that  will  keep  it  afloat  even  though  it  is 
full  of  water.  New  ropes  or  "falls"  replace  those  showing  the  slight- 
est signs  of  decay.  The  blocks  (pulleys)  are  tested.  The  food  and 
water  and  other  supplies  are  renewed. 

Foreign  ships,  of  course,  operate  under  the  safety  laws  of  their 
respective  flags.  For  example,  boilers  in  the  engine-rooms  of  Ameri- 
ican  vessels  must  be  inspected  at  regular  intervals.  This  requires 
that  the  fires  be  drawn  and  the  boilers  cooled.  This  subjects  them  to 
a  terrific  and  uneven  strain.  But  the  ships  of  other  nations  can 
come  into  port  and  have  their  boilers  tested  while  they  are  still  hot! 

The  equipment  on  ships  is  usually  stenciled  with  the  name 
of  the  vessel  and  especially  all  life-boat  equipment.  Then,  in  case 
of  a  wreck,  the  finding  of  some  floating  objects  will  identify  the 
ship. 

The  Lamport  and  Holt  line  which  owned  the  Vestris  has  a 
number  of  ships  engaged  in  South  American  trade.  Most  of  them 
run  between  New  York  and  Montevideo  and  Buenos  Aires,  on  the 
River  Plate.  The  Vestris  was  in  South  America  during  the 
time  the  West  Nilus  was  there  and  one  of  the  passengers  who 
went  to  Argentina  aboard  the  Vestris  decided  to  come  back  to 
the  United  States  on  an  American  vessel.  She  was  Mrs.  R.  L. 
Selleck  of  Santa  Monica,  California.  She  came  aboard  the  S.  S. 
West  Nilus,  while  it  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  Rio  Parana  at 
San  Pedro,  Argentina,  June  22,  and  came  back  to  the  States  with 
us,  arriving  at  Los  Angeles,  August  9,  this  year.  While  the  West 
Nilus  is  primarily  a  freight  steamer,  with  a  capacity  of  over  six 
thousand  tons  of  cargo,  it  also  has  accommodation  for  ten  passengers. 

Each  passenger  was  assigned  to  a  certain  life  boat.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  crew  and  the  officers  are  assigned  to  various  boats,  so 
that  there  are  men  in  each  that  understand  seamanship  and  can  handle 
the  boat  properly.  There  was  at  least  one  navigating  officer  assigned 
to  each  life  boat,  and  each  was  equipped  with  a  sea  anchor.  This 
is  a  conical  piece  of  canvas  fastened  to  a  length  of  "line"  in  the  stern 
of  the  boat.  It  acts  as  a  drag  and  thus  keeps  the  boat  headed  into 
the  waves  and  keeps  it  from  capsizing  in  the  troughs  of  the  sea. 
The  sea  anchor  may  contain  a  small  can  of  oil  that  will  spread  over 
the  water.  Each  life  boat  is  equipped  with  a  gallon  or  so  of  oil. 
This  may  be  poured  on  the  water  in  rough  weather  and  will  keep 


INTERVIEW    WITH    SEAMAN    MAURICE    HOWE  193 

the  waves  from  "breaking"  and  thus  swamping  the  boat  with  its 
human  cargo. 

In  the  forward  end  of  the  boat  is  a  "painter."  a  coil  of  about 
sixty  feet  of  two-inch  rope,  which  is  made  fast  to  the  rail  of  the 
ship  when  the  boat  is  lowered  to  keep  it  alongside  the  vessel.  When 
the  boat  has  reached  the  water  a  person  in  the  boat  can  pull  a  small 
lever  which  operates  the  automatic  release  device.  This  latter  releases 
both  "falls."  or  lowering  ropes,  at  the  same  time  so  that  one  end 
is  not  tipped  up  as  would  be  the  case  if  the  ropes  were  not  freed 
at  the  same  instant. 

Before  the  boat  leaves  the  deck  the  canvas  cover  and  its  sup- 
porting "strongback"  is  removed.  A  moment  is  devoted  to  glancing 
at  the  stores  and  equipment  to  see  that  all  is  in  good  order,  the 
"gripes"  are  released,  the  "chocks"  removed,  then  following  the  order 
the  boat  is  lowered  away. 

American  sea  laws  require  that  life  boats  be  of  certain  length 
and  breadth  and  of  certain  materials,  and  of  non-sinkable  construc- 
tion. Along  the  inside  of  the  boat  are  air  tanks  for  buoyancy.  There 
must  be  enough  boats  to  accommodate  all  the  persons  aboard  the 
vessel,  and  they  must  be  equipped  with  a  number  of  articles  fixed  by 
the  regulations  governing  safety  devices.  These  include  the  follow- 
ing: A  full  set  of  oars  and  two  extra,  small  mast  and  sail,  twine, 
needles,  sailor's  "palm,"  hatchet,  lantern,  rockets,  water-proof 
matches,  compass,  a  life  line  and  floaters,  storm  oil,  fuel  oil,  two 
drinking  cups,  a  quart  of  water  and  two  pounds  of  hard  tack  for  each 
person,  canvas,  a  knife,  etc.  Thus  there  are  provisions  to  sustain  life 
and  equipment  which  would  enable  the  occupants  to  make  their  way 
towards  land  or  another  ship. 

In  a  case  where  a  ship  comes  to  the  rescue  of  another  and  the 
seas  are  running  high  a  line  may  be  literally  "shot"  from  a  small 
cannon  to  the  ship  and  "breeches  buoy"  rigged  up.  This  is  a  sort 
of  chair  or  swing  attached  to  the  line  from  one  ship  to  the  other  and 
one  by  one  the  people  are  transferred  to  safety. 

Whatever  the  cause  of  the  Vestris  wreck  and  whatever  blame 
will  be  attached  to  those  in  charge,  it  will  always  be  a  blot  on  the 
records  of  British  shipping.  It  appears  strange  that  154  out  of  199 
members  of  the  crew  should  be  saved  while  only  60  out  of  129 
passengers  are  now  alive — that  is.  more  than  77%  of  the  crew  and 
less  than  47%  of  the  passengers  were  saved.  But  considering  the 
panic,  the  apparent  lack  of  leadership,  the  mountainous  waves  and 
the  difficulty  of  launching  poorly  equipped  boats  down  the  side  of 
a  listing  ship,  we  must  withhold  judgment  until  the  facts  are  brought 
out. 

Ogden,    Utah 


The  Joseph  Smith  Memorial  Farm 

By  Its  Manager,  Angus  J.  Cannon 

THE  average  January  temperature  is  17  degrees  in  the  hilly 
sections  of  Vermont.  This  means  that  the  thermometer  often 
falls  far  below  zero,  not  infrequently  reaching  40  degrees  be- 
low. This  intense  cold,  together  with  the  deep  snows  that  drift  and 
fill  in  the  roads  and  hollows,  Iwould  help  to  drive  a  less  resolute 
and  hardy  race  out  of  the  country.  But  history  tells  us  that  neither 
the  elements  nor  King  George's  red-coats,  even  with  the  help  of  the 
Indians,  could  conquer  them.  With  dauntless  courage  they  waged 
independent  war  against  England  during  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
and  in  the  end  wanted  to  conclude  a  separate  peace  treaty  with  their 
recent  enemy. 

From  this  stock  Joseph  Smith  came — just  as  independent  and 
sturdy  in  his  work  as  were  the  Green  Mountain  Boys  of  Revoluntion- 
ary  fame. 

When  Champlain  first  saw  the  Green  Mountains,  he  called  them 
Verts  Monts.  Later  when  the  constitutional  convention  met  in  the 
old  Constitution  house,  now  used  as  a  very  attractive  tea  room, 
in  Windsor,  Windsor  county,  the  state  was  given  the  name  of  Ver- 
mont, from  the  French  Verts  Monts,  meaning  green  mountains. 

Even  in  this  day  of  modern  conveniences,  such  as  the  telephone, 
electric  lights,  radio  and  the  auto,  winter  life  on  the  hill  farms  of 
Vermont  leaves  much  to  be  desired.  The  farms  are  very  much  iso- 
lated, not  always  because  of  great  distances  between  them,  but 
rather  because  of  the  hilly,  wooded  character  of  the  country,  which 
makes  neighborly  communication  quite  difficult,  and  after  the  fre- 
quent heavy  snow  storms  the  hardy  people  of  the  back  hill  farms 
are  hard  put  to  keep  their  roads  open. 

On  such  a  farm,  far  back  in  beautiful  hills,  and  about  three 
miles  from  what  is  now  the  charming  little  village  of  South  Royal- 
ton,  Joseph  Smith  was  born  on  the  23d  day  of  December,  1805. 
It  is  rather  hard,  123  years  after  that  important  event,  to  picture 
the  primitive  conditions  surrounding  people  of  the  time,  but  though 
we  know  something  of  those  hill  farms  today,  and  are  acquainted 
with  some  of  the  modern  conveniences  enjoyed  on  the  more  favored 
of  these  farms,  it  is  possible  to  realize  something  of  the  hardships 
of  that  time.  Where  and  how  did  thev  send  for  a  doctor?  The 
nearest  villages,  Sharon,  Tunbridge  and  Royalton,  were  miles  away 
and,  even  if  a  doctor  could  be  found,  were  the  roads  open?  What 
kind  of  a  home  did  they  have?     Probably  a  very  poor  one.  even  for 


196  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

that  early  time.  They  lived  on  a  rented  farm — rented  from  Lucy 
Mack's  parents,  Solomon  and  Lydia  Mack.  We  think  there  must 
have  been  a  large,  open  fireplace  in  the  house,  because  the  hearthstone 
has  been  saved  from  the  ruins  of  the  old  home,  and  this  hearthstone 
naturally  has  a  place  of  honor  in  the  cottage  built  on  the  site  of  the 
original  dwelling.  And  another  interesting  part  of  that  home  is  the 
old  well,  still  to  be  seen  some  distance  below  the  cottage,  a  vivid 
reminder  of  the  toil  connected  with  living  in  the  olden  days,  when 
even  water,  that  most  important  article  in  our  lives,  could  not  be  had 
without  much  hardship. 

We  can  imagine  that  the  surroundings  were,  in  a  wild  way, 
beautiful  and  attractive  then,  even  as  they  are  now.  Mount  Patriarch, 
thickly  covered  with  white  and  yellow  birch,  rock  maple,  ash  and 
other  trees,  is  a  wonderful  background,  being  one  of  the  highest 
hills  in  that  hilly  neighborhood,  while  on  the  north  the  old  sugar 
groves  have  for  many,  many  years  given  forth  the  sweet  sap  from 
which  delicious  maple  syrup  and  sugar  are  made,  and  on  the  north- 
west near  the  cottage  is  that  charming  bit  of  wildwood  named  after 
the  Prophet's  sister,  Sophronia,  and  now  called  Sophronia's  Glen. 
This  is  filled  with  maple,  ash,  birch  and  other  trees.  On  the  south, 
about  a  furlong  away,  is  another  sugar  grove  hill.  So  the  cottage  and 
grounds  are  pretty  well  shut  in,  and  all  else  shut  out.  Beautiful! 
Yes,  and  romantic,  with  no  other  dwelling  in  sight.  The  solitude 
and  the  stillness  are  almost  oppressive  at  times  in  winter.  But  what 
a  wonderful  place  for  meditation  and  prayer!  Today  it  is  a  most 
delightful  place  in  the  summer,  and  thousands  visit  there  each  season. 
The  grounds  are  well  laid  out  and  the  cottage  is  attractive.  It  is 
a  white-painted  frame  building  and  makes  a  pleasing  picture  in  the 
centre  of  the  lawns.  Hundreds  of  visitors  express  surprise  in  finding 
such  a  beautiful  place  far  up  in  the  hills  away  from  everywhere,  and 
one  lady  expressed  the  views  of  a  large  crowd  of  visitors  when  she 
wrote  in  the  guest  book,  'We  are  proud  that  the  'Mormons'  have 
such  an  appreciation  of  the  beautiful."  Perhaps  she  and  her  friends 
had  been  of  the  opinion  that  the  "Mormons"  have  no  love  of  beauty. 
This  is  just  one  case  of  the  many  hundreds  in  which  persons  leave 
there  with  a  better  idea  of  this  people's  worth. 

Another  incident:  One  day  the  reception  room  of  the  cottage 
was  filled  with  visitors  composed  of  two  or  more  different  groups. 
Sometimes,  as  was  the  case  that  day,  these  different  groups  will  not 
mix  well,  and  it  is  more  or  less  difficult  to  interest  them.  Well, 
this  day  of  which  we  are  writing,  one  of  the  groups  was  made  up 
of  theatrical  people,  some  of  whom  had  been  several  times  in  Salt 
Lake.  The  other  group  seemed  critical,  and  passed  almost  slighting 
remarks  on  some  of  our  statements.  However,  one  of  them  after  read- 


THE  JOSEPH   SMITH   MEMORIAL    FARM  197 

ing  the  "Articles  of  Faith"  said,  "Well,  if  the  'Mormons'  believe  that, 
they  must  be  a  broad-minded  people."  One  of  the  actors  took  the 
conversation  away  from  the  guide  by  saying,  "Broad-minded!  Why 
the  'Mormons'  are  as  broad-minded  as  the  streets  of  Salt  Lake  are 
wide." 

But  though  the  grounds  and  surroundings  are  attractive  and 
form  a  harmonious  setting  for  the  cottage,  they  are  the  least  im- 
portant part  of  the  Joseph  Smith  Memorial  Home,  or  Farm  as  it  is 
more  often  called.  The  big  drawing  card,  of  course,  is  the  Monu- 
ment erected  by  the  Church  in  1905,  under  the  direction  of  Elder 
Junius  F.  Wells. 

In  this  connection  we  should  pause  long  enough  to  pay  a 
slight  but  well  deserved  tribute  to  Brother  Wells  for  the  work  he 
did  in  obtaining  title  to  the  old  Mack  farm,  in  planning  the  Monu- 
ment and  selecting  the  almost  flawless  block  of  granite  from  which 
the  thirty-eight  and  a  half-foot  shaft  is  cut,  watching  every  bit  of 
the  work  from  the  quarrying,  polishing  and  the  transportation  of 
the  one  hundred  tons  of  granite  forming  the  base  and  the  shaft  of 
the  Monument  by  rail  and  over  bad  roads  that  had  to  be  planked 
every  foot  of  the  way  with  heavy  hardwood  planks,  until  the  shaft 
rested  on  its  base,  a  few  feet  from  the  cottage.  Then  when  the 
crowd,  that  had  gathered  to  watch  the  hoisting  of  the  shaft  into 
place,  started  to  cheer,  Brother  Wells  stopped  them  and,  kneeling 
before  the  wonderful  shaft,  thanked  the  Lord  for  the  consumma- 
tion of  his  efforts.  But  Brother  Wells  did  much  more  than  direct 
all  this.  He  did  a  work  for  which  he  was  peculiarly  adapted  in 
breaking  down  the  spirit  of  opposition  and  hate,  and  by  his  charm- 
ing personality  he  won  the  friendship  of  many,  not  for  himself 
alone,  but  for  the  Church  and  our  people.  I  use  the  word  "charm- 
ing," for  that  expression  has  been  used  more  than  once  in  my 
hearing  by  visitors  speaking  of  him. 

The  shaft  itself,  as  has  been  mentioned,  is  thirty-eight  and  a- 
half  feet  long — a  foot  for  every  year  of  the  Prophet's  life.  It  is  a 
splendid  piece  of  granite — as  nearly  flawless,  we  are  told,  as  one  could 
find  in  any  quarry.  One  expert,  after  carefully  looking  over  the 
Monument,  made  the  statement  that,  outside  of  Barre,  Vermont,  he 
did  not  know  any  granite  field  where  such  a  perfect  shaft  of  that 
length  could  be  quarried.  And  a  Barre  man  later  told  us  that  even 
Barre  could  not  produce  such  another  shaft.  The  people  there 
are  very  proud  of  the  Joseph  Smith  Monument. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  the  readers  to  know  that  many  of  our 
visitors  call  on  us  again,  often  bringing  friends  with  them.  Nat- 
urally they  usually  come  to  see  the  Monument  rather  than  to  learn 
of  Joseph  Smith's  great  mission.     Still,  many  listen  to  our  story  of 


198  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

the  work  he  was  instrumental  in  starting,  and  we  feel  confident  that 
they  leave  with  a  better  impression  of  the  Church  and  her  people 
than  they  had  before  visiting  that  sacred  place. 

The  good  that  is  done  there  cannot  be  measured  in  dollars  and 
cents,  nor  can  one  estimate  it  with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  One  day 
it  was  noticed  that  visitors  had  come  to  the  place  from  England 
and  from  at  least  five  different  states.  This  may  or  may  not  have 
been  an  exceptional  day.  They  come  from  Florida  and  California, 
as  well  as  from  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire,  and  leave  the  place 
with  the  feeling  that  they  have  visited  a  great  American  shrine. 


Repentance 

I  wandered  through  green  fields  at  home, 
And  found  a  bird,  so  young,  alone; 
With  childish  glee  I  seized  it  tight, 
And  made  a  cage  for  it  that  night. 
Next  day  I  found  it  lying  dead — 
The  body  cold,  the  spirit  fled. 
My  bitter  tears  were  all  in  vain; 
Its  life  I  could  not  give  again. 

A  wanderer  I  grew  to  be, 
The  laws  of  God  were  naught  to  me. 
I  met  a  boy,  so  young,  who  plead 
For  help  from  me,  a  crust  of  bread. 
I  helped  him  not.     Next  day  I  found 
His  body  cold  upon  the  ground. 
My  pleadings,  then,  were  all  in  vain, 
I  could  not  call  him  back  again. 

Last  night  in  dreams  I  thought  I  went 
To  meet  my  Maker,  him  who  sent 
Me  here  to  earn  a  rich  reward, 
To  do  his  will  and  keep  his  word. 
He  gave  me  just  what  I  had  earned, 
A  punishment  that  seared  and  burned. 
And  though  I  cried  in  bitter  pain, 
My  life  I  could  not  live  again. 

Heavenly  Father,  hear  my  plea! 
Guide  me,  a  sinner,  back  to  thee, 
And  of  thy  love  let  me  partake. 
In  Jesus-'  name  and  for  his  sake. 

Vancouver,   B.  C.  WILLIAM    SYKES 


A  Relative  of  Nancy  Hanks 
Carries  On 

By  Professor  H.  R.  Merrill 

I  MET  him  the  other  day  in 
my  home  town.  With  his 
head  up,  his  hard  hat  mark- 
ing him  as  different  among  all 
the  men  on  the  street,  the  stubs 
of  his  arms  shoved  well  into  his 
coat  pockets — I  knew  that  he 
had  no  hands, — his  face  gleam- 
ing in  the  autumn  sunshine, 
radiating  light  and  optimism  al- 
though I  knew  that  behind  his 
large,  smoked  glasses  there  were 
no  seeing  eyes,  he  was  walking 
along  a  crowded  street  unat- 
tended. After  our  conversation, 
which  lasted  a  few  moments,  I 
let  him  pass  on  unassisted  chief- 
ly because  his  optimism  and  his 
assurance  convinced  me  that  he 
needed  none. 

I  had  met  Nymphas  Cori- 
don  Hanks,  Cory  Hanks,  as  he 
is  called  up  and  down  his  own 
state,  where  he  is  known  and 
loved,  many  years  before  when 
he  came  to  our  high  school  without  eyes,  without  hands  and  had 
given  one  of  his  inspiring  talks.  1  had  met  him  a  number  of  times 
since,  and  I  had  read  Up  From  The  Hills,  the  book  in  which  he  tells 
his  story,  but  I  had  never  really  had  an  intimate  conversation  with 
him.  This  time  I  was  determined  to  know  this  wonder  man  a  bit 
better;  therefore,  I  hailed  him. 

"Good  morning,  brother,"  he  replied  as  he  held  out  his  right 
arm  for  me  to  clasp. 

I  gave  him  my  name.  From  his  response  I  knew  that  his  alert 
mind  had  jumped  back  through  the  years  from  one  of  our  several 
meetings  to  another.  He  invited  me  to  call  upon  him  at  the  hotel, 
an  invitation  which  I  lost  no  time  in  accepting. 

For  exactly  a  quarter  of  a  century  this  man  has  walked  up  and 


N.  C.  Hanks,  on  Campus  of  the  Brigham 

Young  University,  where  He  Was  a 

Student  Twenty-Five  Years  Ago 


200  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

down  the  world  in  darkness,  but  beholding  the  light;  without  hands, 
but  grasping  many  of  the  finer  things  of  life  with  a  firmness  denied 
him  in  earlier  manhood. 

^Twenty-five  years  ago,  in  other  words,  in  the  fall  of  1903, 
N.  C.  Hanks  was  a  youthful,  vigorous  miner  to  whom  the  world 
looked  unusually  beautiful.  He  and  his  friend  were  working  a  mine 
on  the  western  slope  of  Mt.  Nebo,  thirty  miles  southwest  of  Provo. 
It  was  November  and  the  November  sun  made  the  mountain  and 
the  checkered  valley  below  a  paradise  of  color. 

About  11:30  of  a  sunny  day,  N.  C.  Hanks  walked  from 
the  cabin  to  a  point  near  a  huge  rock  where  he  took  in  his  hands 
a  box  containing  100  XXX  California  giant-powder  caps  which 
had  been  standing  directly  in  the  hot,  November  sunshine.  The 
box  was  hot.  Young  Hanks,  as  he  held  it  between  his  two  strong 
hands,  shook  it  slightly. 

A  roar  rocked  the  canyon  as  the  caps  exploded,  each  of  the 
hundred  being  guaranteed  to  exert  power  of  300  pounds.  In  other 
words,  thirty  thousand  pounds  or  fifteen  tons  of  power  were  sud- 
denly turned  loose  between  those  two  strong  hands. 

Hanks  was  thrown  back  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  but  was  not 
knocked  unconscious.  Both  hands  were  blown  off  and  his  eyes 
were  shattered.  In  his  book,  Up  From  The  Hills,  he  describes  his 
experiences. 

"I  found  myself  lying  on  the  rocks  about  fifteen  feet  from 
where  the  explosion  occurred,"  he  says.  "I  immediately  rolled  over 
and  stood  up  calm,  sane,  and  collected.  My  hands  were  gone,  my 
eyes  were  blind.  Darkness  loomed.  The  blood  streamed.  Where 
my  left  hand  should  have  been,  sharp  bones  protruded  as  I  raised 
it  to  my  face.  The  wreck  of  my  right  hand  was  even  worse,  mashed 
like  sausage.  I  was  not  in  extreme  pain.  My  face  was  smarting 
as  if  I  had  been  hit  with  a  handful  of  gravel,  my  clothes  were  torn 
and  burned;  in  fact,  most  of  them  were  gone.  My  body  was  bruised 
and  cut,  and  flying  particles  of  copper  had  played  havoc  with  my 
eyes.    My  partner  wept  and  beat  his  head. 

"From  that  minute  on,  down,  down  I  sped,  worse  and  worse, 
until  it  seemed  that  I  would  die.  It  began  with  a  walk  up  the  trail 
to  the  cabin  door.  The  seat  on  the  bed  was  a  welcome  place;  the 
fire  was  made  by  my  partner  and  the  examination  began.  He 
opened  my  right  eye  with  his  thumb  and  finger. 

"  'My  God,'  he  said,  'that  one  is  gone.' 

"The  left  eye  was  next  in  turn.  He  opened  it  wide.  'Can't 
you  see?     That  one  looks  good.' 

'You  are  not  lying  to  me,'  said  I.  'Look  here,  old  man,  if  that 
one  is  gone  I  want  you  to  tell  me,  and  right  here  is  where  I  will 
take  my  medicine.' 


A  RELATIVE  OF  NANCY  HANKS  CARRIES  ON  201 

'No,  I'm  not  lying,  I  can't  see  where  that  one  is  hurt  at  all.' 

"  'Is  it  worth  a  chance?' 

"  'Yes.' 

"Then  we  had  better  tie  it  up  and  stop  the  blood,  or  this 
will  soon  be  all  over.'  " 

Through  that  conversation  shows  the  grit  of  the  man.  The 
details  of  that  awful  experience  are  told  elsewhere.  Of  the  waiting 
from  11:30  until  after  dark  for  his  companion  to  return  with  the 
doctor,  of  the  remaining  over  night  in  the  little  cabin,  of  the  long 
trip  in  a  wagon  down  the  canyon,  of  the  railroad  ride  the  following 
day  to  the  hospital,  and  then  of  the  struggle  after  the  operation — 
all  are  told  graphically  and  well.  But  in  it  all  there  is  no  whining 
at  fate — just  this:  "Until  my  dying  day  I  shall  thank  the  Almighty 
Creator  for  the  last  glorious  look  over  the  mountains  and  cliffs." 

For  twenty-five  years — all  in  darkness,  many  times  more  awful 
than  mere  physical  darkness — N.  C.  Hanks  has  been  like  that:  thank- 
ing God  for  the  bright  spots  in  his  life  and  never  complaining  at 
the  dark  ones. 

Blind  and  without  hands  this  man  set  out  to  build  a  new 
life.  It  was  difficult  and  trying,  but  in  his  veins  was  blood  that  had 
overcome.  He  has  delivered  to  young  and  old  5,654  lectures  in  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  Mexico,  and  the  Hawaiian 
islands.  He  has  crossed  the  continent  34  times,  has  visited  Mexico 
four  times,  and  Canada  fourteen  times,  always  revealing  the  silver 
lining,  never  the  dark  clouds  which  must,  in  spite  of  him,  hover 
thick  and  black  at  times. 

He  is  the  grandson  of  Eph  Hanks,  famous  in  the  annals  of  the 
Utah  pioneers  and  a  cousin  of  Nancy  Hanks,  mother  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.  Cory  relates  the  experiences  of  his  grandfather  with  pride. 
He  got  much  of  his  information  from  one  Tom  Dobson,  who  knew 
old  Eph  well.  "Eph  never  stuck,"  said  Dobson,  "when  there  was 
anything  to  do  he  did  it."  There's  the  blood  which  makes  a  man 
out  of  a  fragment.  But  on  the  opposite  side  N.  C.  Hanks  had  blood 
equally  determined.  From  his  grandfather.  Nymphas  Murdock,  he 
gets  his  first  given  name  and  along  with  it  much  of  the  Murdock 
grit. 

N.  C.  Hanks  is  in  his  forty-sixth  year,  but  he  is  looking  young. 
His  determined  optimism  has  driven  back  the  years.  He  looks  to 
be  thirty-five.  As  he  stands  before  an  audience  with  face  uplifted, 
one  can  almost  sense  the  flash  of  the  sightless  eyes  behind  the  smoked 
glasses  and  can  feel  that  here  is  a  Westerner;  for  his  grit,  his  quiet 
acceptance  of  fate,  his  determination,  his  fine  optimism,  his  keen 
appreciation  of  friendships  make  him  more  like  the  Westerner  is 
thought  to  be  than  any  finely  drawn  hero  of  fiction. 


The  Jewish  State  in  Palestine 

By  H.  C.  Singer 

DESPITE  the  crushing  defeat  the  Jews  suffered  at  the  hands 
of  the  Romans  under  Titus  in  the  year  A.  D.  70,  the  hope 
of  a  restoration  to  an  independent  state  did  not  die.  For 
about  two  generations  after  the  destruction  of  the  temple,  rebellion 
broke  out  among  the  Jews  in  the  eastern  dominions  under  Roman 
rule.  Finally,  under  Bar-cochba  in  133  A.  D.,  one  more  concerted 
effort  was  made  to  establish  Jewish  independence,  which  culminated 
in  the  crushing  defeat  two  years  later,  in  the  month  of  Ab,  at  the 
siege  of  Bither,  in  Palestine;  Bar-cochba  was  slain  and  over  half  a 
million  followers  lost  their  lives  in  the  revolt  that  did  not  die  out 
until  all  had  fallen. 

The  hope  of  restoration  did  not  die  for  generations,  but  the 
impossibility  of  reconquest  became  manifest  as  the  years  went  on, 
and  the  Jewish  people  consoled  themselves,  over  the  loss  of  the 
national  independence,  by  faith  in  their  ultimate  redemption  through 
special  divine  intercession.  Being,  as  they  believed,  the  recipients  of 
divine  favor  through  having  been  chosen  as  a  medium  of  revelation 
to  the  world,  the  return  to  Palestine  and  the  setting  up  of  a  national 
independence  seemed  to  them  a  prerequisite. 

As  time  passed  and  the  Roman  went,  their  lot  became  harder 
under  the  Persian,  and  later  under  the  Arabs  who  had  been  raiding 
from  the  desert.  Finally  the  Byzantine  army,  which  at  this  time, 
640  A.  D.,  had  assumed  control  over  Palestine,  was  destroyed  by  the 
Arabs  and  the  country  over  run  by  the  hordes  under  the  Caliph 
Omar.  Later  the  heel  of  the  Egyptian  trampled  over  the  roads  made 
sacred  by  the  pilgrimages  of  the  faithful,  and  despite  the  attempts 
made  by  the  Byzantine  emperors  again  to  repossess  the  land,  it  re- 
mained under  the  Egyptian  masters  until  disputed  by  the  Turkish 
adventurers  who  filtered  in  from  the  north  and  east. 

The  profanation  of  the  sacred  places  of  Palestine  and  the 
closing  of  the  roads  to  the  pilgrims  set  Christendom  aflame  and 
contributed  to  the  launching  of  the  Crusades.  Because  of  the  success 
of  the  early  Crusades  and  the  organization  of  Palestine  into  Latin 
states  the  country  flourished  as  it  had  not  done  for  many  generations. 
By  1 189  A.  D.,  however,  the  last  of  the  Latin  states  had  succumbed 
to  the  invasions  of  their  Moslem  neighbors  and  a  strong  foothold 
in  Palestine  was  not  again  established  by  the  Christian  kingdoms 
till  many  centuries  had  passed.  Under  treaty,  however,  in  1229, 
Jerusalem  and  several  neighboring  cities  were  restored  to  Christian 


THE  JEWISH  STATE   IN  PALESTINE  203 

keeping,  but  less  than  twenty  years  later  the  Tartar  hordes  sacked 
and  invaded  Jerusalem,  and  Acre  in  1291,  the  last  stronghold  of  the 
Crusaders,  was  captured  by  the  Egyptians,  who  had  overcome  the 
Mongols  on  the  Plain  of  Esdraelon  fifteen  years  previously,  and  the 
Latins  vanished  from  the  scene. 

After  about  a  hundred  years  of  comparative  tranquility  the 
Tartar  menace  reappeared  in  the  person  of  Tamerlane,  who  with- 
drew, however,  after  contenting  himself  with  fighting  on  the  borders 
of  Palestine  but  not  invading  it.  The  year  1516,  brought  other 
taskmasters,  the  Ottoman  Turks,  who  were  destined  to  remain  mas- 
ters till  the  days  of  restoration  of  Palestine  should  have  begun. 
They  made  no  attempt  at  colonizing  or  administering  the  land,  and 
the  history  of  Palestine  for  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries 
resolved  itself  into  perpetual  warfare  between  local  chieftains.  The 
abortive  campaign  of  Napoleon  in  1799  had  the  effect  of  compelling 
the  Turks  to  reassert  themselves  in  the  administration  of  Palestine, 
but  rebellion  gave  the  Egyptians  the  opportunity  they  had  been 
seeking,  and  they  became  masters  of  the  land  for  a  decade.  Harsh 
and  stern  as  was  the  Egyptian  rule,  it  gave  Palestine  some  semblance 
of  order,  and  when  the  Turks  again  returned  to  Palestine  in  1840, 
under  the  support  of  European  powers,  the  country  had  left  the 
Middle  Ages  behind  forever. 

Still  Palestine  had  no  political  history  save  that  afforded  by  the 
rivalries  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches,  which  were  among  the  im- 
mediate causes  of  the  Crimean  war  and  furnished  a  basis  for  inter- 
national politics  with  the  Levant  for  years  to  come.  Under  the 
Young  Turks'  regime  the  reforms  promised  in  Palestine  were  little 
more  than  a  dead  letter,  although  in  the  closing  years  of  the  Turkish 
rule  there  were  signs  of  economic  progress  through  the  growth  of 
the  ports  of  Jaffa  and  Haifa,  the  building  of  roads  and  railways  and 
the  influx  of  Jewish  and  European  settlers  prior  to  the  Great  War. 

Out  from  a  new  land,  from  among  a  strange  and  peculiar  peo- 
ple, a  people  harrassed  and  persecuted  as  the  Jews  of  the  world,  went 
a  prophet  of  the  Lord  carrying  into  the  land  of  a  despised  people  a 
promise  and  a  blessing.  The  seeds  of  adversity  bring  forth  flowers 
of  humility  and  the  fruit  thereof  is  love.  From  despised  Israel  in 
America,  known  as  the  Latter-day  Saints,  or  "Mormons,"  went  the 
message  of  love,  and  hope,  and  prayers  for  the  Jews  scattered  abroad 
awaiting  the  gathering  that  was  to  come  in  the  due  time  of  the  Lord. 

Set  apart  at  general  conference  in  Nauvoo.  on  April  6,  1840, 
Orson  Hyde  was  appointed  to  take  a  mission  to  Palestine  to  dedicate 
the  land  for  the  return  of  the  Jews.  On  April  15,  Elder  Hyde  left 
Nauvoo  and  journeyed  to  New  York  where  he  spent  some  time 
among  the  Jews  of  that  city.    After  many  trials  and  difficulties,  Elder 


204  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

Hyde,  a  modern  apostle  of  the  Lord,  arrived  in  Palestine,  and  early 
on  Sunday  morning,  October  24,  1841,  ascended  the  Mount  of 
Olives  overlooking  Jerusalem  and  dedicated  the  land  of  Palestine  for 
the  gathering  of  the  Jews.  As  was  the  custom  in  the  days  of  old,  to 
erect  a  pile  of  stone  as  a  witness,  so  did  Elder  Orson  Hyde  on  the 
Mount  of  Olives  and  again  on  Mount  Moriah  where  the  glorious 
temple  of  old  had  stood.  He  prayed  that  scattered  Judah  might  again 
be  assembled,  for  the  building  of  Jerusalem  so  long  trodden  down  by 
the  Gentiles  and  the  erecting  once  again  of  a  temple  to  the  Lord.  He 
prayed  that  the  curse  of  barrenness  and  sterility  might  be  removed 
from  the  land;  that  springs  of  living  water  might  break  forth  to 
water  its  thirsty  soil;  that  the  vine  and  olive  and  fig  tree  might  again 
bloom  and  flourish;  that  the  clouds  might  distil  virtue  and  richness, 
and  the  fields  smile  with  plenty.  "And  let  thy  great  kindness  con- 
quer and  subdue  the  unbelief  of  thy  people,"  he  prayed.  "Do  thou 
take  from  them  their  stony  heart,  and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh; 
and  may  the  sun  of  thy  favor  dispel  the  cold  mists  of  darkness  that 
have  so  long  beclouded  their  atmosphere.  Incline  them  to  gather  in 
upon  this  land  according  to  thy  word.  Let  them  come  like  clouds 
and  like  doves  to  their  windows.  Let  the  ships  of  the  nations  bring 
them  from  the  distant  isles;  and  let  kings  become  their  nursing  fa- 
thers, and  queens  with  motherly  fondness  wipe  the  tear  of  sorrow 
from  their  eye." 

All  Europe  was  stirred  in  1895,  with  the  trial  of  Captain 
Dreyfus,  a  French  army  officer,  on  charge  of  espionage  in  the  French 
army.  To  Paris  was  sent  a  young  Jewish  reporter  from  Austria,  by 
the  name  of  Theodor  Herzl.  He  was  a  doctor  of  laws,  a  clever 
journalist,  and  a  successful  playwright,  already  launched  on  a  bril- 
liant literary  career.  He  saw  in  Captain  Dreyfus,  the  defendant  in 
that  trial,  a  symbol  of  the  Jewish  people  who  had  been  the  victims 
of  political  and  religious  persecution,  of  social  injustice  and  outrage 
throughout  all  the  Christian  centuries. 

In  Theodor  Herzl's  mind  was  formed  an  idea  born  of  a  re- 
action against  Jewish  hatred  and  persecution,  more  particularly 
against  that  form  of  it  which  has  come  to  be  known  as  anti-Semitism. 
In  a  Paris  hotel  during  those  days  of  the  trial  he  wrote  a  pamphlet, 
wherein  he  offered  what  he  thought  to  be  a  solution  to  the  Jewish 
problem,  and  called  his  pamphlet  "The  Jewish  State,"  and  based  his 
call  to  the  Jews  of  the  world  on  the  premise,  "We  are  a  people, — 
one  people."  Being  a  man  of  unusuallv  fine  sensibilities  and  intel- 
lectual courage  he  thought  the  problem  out  to  its  inevitable  con- 
clusion; a  Jewish  state  for  the  Jewish  people.  Such  was  the  modern 
starting  point  of  the  Zionist  Movement. 

Herzl  was  by  no  means  the  first  to  conceive  a  plan  for  the  re- 


THE  JEWISH  STATE   IN   PALESTINE  205 

establishing  of  a  Jewish  state.  Napoleon  had  conceived  it  as  part  of 
his  great  political  scheme  to  control  the  Mediterranean  Basin,  and 
had  his  plan  been  attended  with  success,  a  Jewish  state  would  have 
arisen  in  the  east  under  the  protection  of  the  French  flag.  This 
solution  to  the  problem  at  once  suggests  a  great  danger.  The  life 
of  a  Jewish  state  established  by  one  great  power  would  depend  upon 
the. ability  of  the  creator  to  protect  it.  Instead  of  the  realization  of 
their  hopes,  through  long  centuries,  of  an  independent  national  state, 
it  might  prove  nothing  more  than  a  pitiable  incident  in  the  drama  of 
Israel  in  exile.  Napoleon  was  not  the  only  theorist  to  dream  of  a 
national  Jewish  state,  although  he  undoubtedly  was  animated  by 
more  than  altruistic  impulse.  Warden  Cresson  of  Philadelphia 
planned  on  paper  a  reconstructed  state  and  later,  in  1844.  went  to 
Jerusalem  to  act  as  United  States  Consul  there,  where  he  became 
a  convert  to  Judaism  and  wrote  considerable  on  the  Jewish  problem. 
Both  Jew  and  Gentile  alike  called  upon  the  Jews  to  restore  their 
national  life,  and  upon  the  rest  of  the  world  to  aid  them;  Joseph 
Salvador,  a  French  Jew,  early  in  the  nineteenth  century;  Hollings- 
worth,  an  Englishman,  in  1852;  Moses  Hess,  a  German  socialist 
and  philosopher,  in  1862;  and  George  Elliot  in  her  great  novel, 
Daniel  Deronda,  in  1876.  But  from  the  ranks  of  Judaism  was 
heard  the  great  clarion  note  in  1860.  when  Hirsch  Kalisher,  an 
Orthodox  Rabbi,  wrote  advocating  the  colonization  of  Palestine, 
and  declaring  that  the  Messianic  ideal  is  not  incompatible  with  hu- 
man labor  and  sacrifice. 

The  movement  to  colonize  Palestine  took  root.  The  first 
modern  settlement  was  established  in  1876,  by  the  International  As- 
sociation of  the  Alliance  Israelite,  which  founded  an  agricultural 
school,  known  as  Mikweh  Israel  (the  gathering  of  Israel)  a  few 
miles  out  of  Jaffa.  Two  years  later  pioneers  from  Russia  started  a 
colony  in  the  plain  north  of  Jaffa,  and  named  it  the  "Gate  of  Hope." 
It  was,  indeed,  to  be  rather  the  gate  of  death  to  some  of  the  pioneers; 
Baron  Edmond  de  Rothschild  became  interested  in  them  and  sent 
assistance  and  also  rendered  financial  aid  to  all  the  Jewish  settlements 
springing  up  in  the  country.  There  were  not,  according  to  available 
statistics,  more  than  three  thousand  Jews  in  Palestine  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  practically  all  of  them  were 
living  in  the  four  so-called  holy  cities.  Jerusalem.  Hebron.  Tiberias 
and  Safed.  These  were  descendants  of  Jews  who  had  been  exiled 
from  Spain  and  Portugal  in  the  fifteenth  century  and  were  joined  by 
pious  mystics  of  Poland  and  Russia.  Settling  in  the  cities  and  living 
on  the  charitable  gifts  of  their  brethren  scattered  throughout  the 
world,  they  cannot  be  said  to  have  had  much  influence  on  the  problem 
of  resettlement.     By  the  late  eighties  of  the  nineteenth  century,  how- 


206  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

ever,  some  half  a  dozen  colonies  had  been  centered  around  Jaffa,  and 
another  group  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Plain  of  Sharon  and  on 
the  lower  spurs  of  the  ridge  of  Carmel  and  another  in  the  valleys 
and  highlands  of  Galilee.  By  the  outbreak  of  the  war  there  were 
forty-six  Jewish  agricultural  colonies  established  in  Palestine 
throughout  Judea,  Samaria,  Galilee  and  even  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Jordan,  largely  assisted  by  Baron  Rothschild  and  the  Jewish 
Colonization  Association. 

Throughout  the  years  that  had  followed  Theodor  Herzl's  first 
article  on  the  Jewish  state  question,  there  had  come  to  be  a  vast  in- 
terest in  the  re-establishment  of  the  Jewish  colony.  Following  swiftly 
on  the  issue  of  his  phamphlet  in  1895,  he  appeared  at  Basel,  in 
Switzerland,  in  the  August  of  1897,  at  a  Congress  of  Jews  and  under 
his  presidency,  and,  for  the  first  time,  laid  before  the  world  a  public 
petition  of  rights  for  which  was  asked  international  sanction.  The 
great  basic  declaration  of  this  Congress  was  that  the  object  of  Zion- 
ism is  the  creation  for  the  Jewish  people  of  a  home  in  Palestine 
secured  by  public  international  law,  and  from  this  declaration  Zion- 
ism has  never  swerved. 

Expressions  of  good  will  were  at  once  shown  by  many  of  the 
leading  writers  and  diplomats  of  the  world;  foremost  among  them, 
Herzl  received  offers  from  the  British  government.  Expressions  of 
good  feeling  were  given  by  the  Sultan  Abdul  Hamid,  the  King  of 
Italy,  the  Pope,  and  William  II  of  Germany  and  from  Von  Plehve 
the  Czar's  minister.  From  the  British  government,  however,  came 
two  distinct  offers  of  land;  one  in  October  in  1902,  of  a  section  in 
the  Sinai  Peninsula,  bordering  on  Palestine;  the  other  in  1903,  of  a 
large  tract  in  East  Africa  with  guarantees  of  local  autonomy.  The 
first  offer  was  found  impracticable  owing  to  the  dearth  of  water  in 
the  territory  in  question.  The  second,  however,  created  a  crisis  in 
the  history  of  Zionism.  It  brought  to  grips  those  who  held  that 
Palestine  alone  was  the  Zionist  objective  and  those  who  were  willing 
to  establish  a  national  home  in  any  part  of  the  world.  Despite  the 
unfavorable  report  of  the  commission  who  investigated  the  land 
in  East  Africa,  those  who  held  to  the  latter  view  seceded  from  the 
Zionist  movement  under  Israel  Zangwill  and  did  not  again  join 
forces  until  the  days  of  the  re-establishment  of  Palestine  had  begun. 

Theodor  Herzl,  the  great  leader,  died  in  1904,  having  first 
organized  the  Zionist  movement  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe  even 
to  clubs  in  Rhodesia  and  Manchuria.  He  was  a  man  of  imposing 
personality  and  those  associated  with  him  say  he  had  no  reason  to 
ask  for  either  obedience  and  leadership,  the  people  knew  it  was  his 
and  gave  it  to  him.  In  Jerusalem,  after  seeing  the  German  Emperor, 
he  stood  on  the  tower  of  David,  and  looked  toward  the  south  and 


THE  JEWISH  STATE  IN  PALESTINE  207 

west  toward  Egypt,  where  the  British  held  their  protectorate,  and 
he  is  said  to  have  uttered: 

"From  that  direction,  and  only  from  that  direction,  in  the 
end,  will  come  the  redemption  of  Israel." 

Though  he  died,  Zionism  was  not  lacking  in  leaders  and  when 
the  time  was  ripe  they  moved  with  a  sagacity  that  could  only 
have  had  its  inspiration  from  a  divine  source. 

The  late  Sultan  Abdul  Hamid  was  not  unfavorable  to  the 
plan  proposed  to  him  by  Dr.  Theodor  Herzl,  and  he  granted  a  charter 
to  the  Jews  of  Palestine,  giving  them  local  self-government  upon 
their  paying  a  certain  sum  in  cash  into  the  Turkish  treasury  and  a 
definite  annual  tribute  thereafter.  The  Zionists  could  not  raise  the 
money  and  the  plan  fell  through.  The  attitude  of  Turkey  had  been 
a  vacillating  one,  torn  by  the  desires  of  Germany  towards  the  Jews 
on  the  one  side,  and  Austria  on  the  other;  both  nations  had  conflict- 
ing views  on  many  points  touching  the  Jews  in  Palestine  and  Turkey, 
and  their  own  particular  interests. 

It  has  been  said  that  Herzl  was  the  Moses  of  Zionism,  and 
Chaim  Weizman  the  Joshua  of  the  new  return.  The  latter  is  a 
British  subject,  but  was  born  in  Russia,  and  has  studied  in  Vienna. 
He  went  to  England  and  taught  chemistry  at  the  University  of  Man- 
chester, advocating  the  principles  of  Zionism  at  every  opportunity. 
Meeting  Mr.  Arthur  Balfour  he  talked  to  him  of  Zionism  and  the 
former,  liking  him,  introduced  him  to  men  of  power  and  place.  Then 
came  the  Great  War. 

Chaim  Weizman  was  a  great  scientist.  The  British  needed  a 
certain  chemical  for  their  munitions,  and  Weizman  supplied  it; 
so  successful  was  he  that  the  British  Admiralty  called  him  to  London 
to  work  in  their  chemical  laboratories.  To  the  head  of  the  Ad- 
miralty came  Mr.  Arthur  Balfour.  So  pleased  were  the  British 
authorities  with  his  efforts  that  they  granted  him  a  special  fund  of 
money  to  make  him  financially  independent.  All  the  while  Chaim 
Weizman  continued  to  talk  Zionism  to  new  people  with  power  and 
at  the  same  time  with  added  prestige  to  himself.  In  the  year  1916, 
there  was  a  new  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  in  the  British 
Government,  and  the  new  secretary  was  Mr.  Arthur  James  Balfour. 

The  entry  of  Turkey  into  the  Great  War  led  to  the  invasion 
of  Palestine  by  the  British  forces.  Attacking  Gaza  in  March,  of 
1917,  Sir  Archibald  Murray,  commander  of  the  British  forces,  said: 

"What  should  we  do  with  Palestine  liberated  from  the  Turkish 
grip?  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  we  should  revive  the  Jewish 
Palestine  of  old." 

Such  was  the  first  great  Zionist  declaration  of  1917.  But  it 
could  not  bind  the  British  Government.     By  the  summer  of  1917. 


208  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

General  Edmund  Allenby  had  assumed  command  of  the  Palestinian 
Expeditionary  Force  and  was  thrusting  northward  from  Gaza, 
menacing  Jerusalem  and  striving  to  cut  the  Turkish  line  of  com- 
munication. His  successes  had  been  brilliant  and  on  November  2, 
1917,  the  British  Foreign  Office  through  Arthur  James  Balfour  wrote 
a  letter  to  Lord  James  Rothschild,  vice  president  of  the  English 
Zionist  Federation.  That  letter  will  go  down  as  the  greatest  docu- 
ment in  Jewish  political  life  since  the  year  of  70  A.  D.  Great 
Britain,  with  all  her  mighty  energies  strained  in  a  life  and  death 
struggle  with  a  colossal  military  machine,  spoke  to  scattered  Israel 
in  words  of  comfort,  hope  and  in  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  as  follows: 

"His  Majesty's  Government  views  with  favor  the  establishment  in  Pal- 
estine of  a  national  home  for  the  Jewish  people,  and  will  use  their  best  en- 
deavors to  facilitate  the  achievement  of  this  object,  it  being  clearly  understood 
that  nothing  shall  be  done  which  may  prejudice  the  civil  and  religious  rights 
of  existing  non-Jewish  communities  in  Palestine  or  the  rights  and  political 
status  enjoyed  by  Jews  in   any  other  country." 

One  month  later,  in  December,  1917,  Allenby  had  entered  Jeru- 
salem and  the  Turkish  armies  were  in  retreat. 

There  are  few  passages  in  history  that  surpass  the  story  of 
Allenby's  brilliant  surprise  attack  on  the  Turkish  positions  in  the 
Plain  of  Sharon,  near  the  old  battlefields  of  Thothmes  and  the 
Hittites.  The  story  of  the  British  Horsemen  charging  into  Nazareth 
in  the  grey  dawn  and  later  galloping  with  drawn  swords  through 
the  streets  of  Damascus  pursuing  the  fleeing  Turk,  and  hearing  the 
cries  of  Arab  and  Jew,  both  sons  of  Abraham,  of  deliverance  and 
praise  to  Jehovah,  will  furnish  stories  that  shepherds  guarding  their 
flocks  at  night  will  tell  oft  and  again. 

No  sooner  had  the  British  ensured  the  safety  and  order  of 
Jerusalem  than  the  Zionist  executives  began  to  link  the  interests 
of  their  organization  in  Palestine  with  those  scattered  throughout 
the  world  and  work  out  the  program  that  had  existed  in  theory  dur- 
ing the  years  of  waiting.  "When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captiv- 
ity of  Zion,  we  were  like  them  that  dream." 

Following  closely  on  the  declaration  made  by  the  British  gov- 
ernment, came  those  of  France.  Italy,  Serbia  and  Greece,  and  later 
an  expression  of  sympathy  from  Pope  Benedict  16.  Due,  however, 
to  the  circumstance  that  the  United  States  and  Turkey,  not  being 
formally  at  war,  the  United  States  could  not  express  itself  in  an 
official  endorsement.  But  in  August,  1918.  President  Wilson  wrote 
Dr.  Stephen  S.  Wise  in  Palestine  expressing  the  sympathy  of  the 
American  people  and  their  satisfaction  and  interest  in  the  laying  of 
the  foundation  of  the  Hebrew  University  in  Jerusalem. 

The  consummation  of  the  political  recognition  desired  by  the 


THE  JEWISH  STATE  IN  PALESTINE  209 

Zionists  came  on  July  24,  1922,  at  London,  when  the  League  ol 
Nations  confirmed  the  Mandate  for  Palestine  and  made  Great  Britain 
their  Mandatory  for  the  Administration  of  Palestine. 

So,  in  part,  has  the  aim  and  dream  of  the  modern  leaders  of 
Jewish  Israel  been  fulfilled,  who  sought  to  establish  her  among  the 
nations;  and  the  prayer  of  Orson  Hyde,  uttered  in  October  of  1841, 
received  answer:  "Let  them  come  like  clouds  and  like  doves  to 
their  windows.  Let  the  large  ships  of  the  nations  bring  them  from 
the  distant  isles;  and  let  kings  become  their  nursing  fathers,  and 
queens  with  motherly  fondness  wipe  the  tear  of  sorrow  from  their 
eye." 

Lethbridge,  Alberta,  Canada 


Soul  Moonbeams 

Have  you  ever  sat  a-thinking 
On  the  lone  and  languid  prairie? 
Have  you  ever  slept  beneath  the  hazy  sky? 
With  the  chinook  sternly  sweeping 
Its  hot  waves  across  the  grasses, 
Though  the  modest  moon  still  beaming. 
And  the  northern  lights  still  gleaming, 
Have  you  ever  wondered  why? 

Have  you  ever  felt  the  smallness 

Of  yourself  beneath  such  shadows? 

Have  you  ever  grasped  the  triteness  of  the  world? 

Have  you  gazed  up  into  heaven, 

As  its  wide  and  wondrous  bigness 

Seized  and  stilled  your  groping  fingers. 

While  your  heart  and  thought  still  lingers 

On  the  universe  unfurled? 

If  you've  not,  you've  missed  a  blessing; 

You  have  lost  a  heavenly  dower; 

For  'tis  then  you  learn  to  understand  your  soul; 

Knowing  then  your  own  creation, 

Understand  love's  law  of  giving, 

Feel  the  bounteous  joy  of  living, 

And  the  good  which  gods  extol. 

Flashes  often  in  the  night-time. 

When  your  heart  is  gray  and  grieving, 

Lights  illusive  from  the  cold  and  cutting  north, 

But  the  ray  that  keeps  on  shining 

On  your  dark  and  wind-swept  prairie, 

Through  the  night-time  of  your  sorrow, 

Till  the  morn  of  life's  tomorrow, 

Are  soul  moon-beams  of  your  worth. 

Lyman,   Wyoming  LLOYD  O.   IVIE 


Why  Should  I  Be  Law-Observing? 

Prize  Oration  Delivered  at  the  B.  Y.  University 
By  Delbert  V.  Groberg 

THE  thought  that  I  should  be  law-observing  is  inherent  in  the 
subject  question.  It  can  well  be  assumed.  It  is  conceded  on 
the  grounds  that  as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  of  America 
I  enjoy  the  rich  benefits  and  protection  of  its  laws  and  am  directly 
subject  to  them.  It  is  a  duty  that  I  owe  to  myself  to  uphold  the 
laws  which  give  me  security  and  protection.  While  of  course  there 
are  penalties  imposed  for  violation,  there  is  first  a  personal  responsi- 
bility and  honor  which  prompt  and  encourage  obedience.  This  is 
effective  before  fear  of  punishment  directs  aright.  There  is  no  escape 
from  honor.  It  is  an  ever  present  reason  for  living  loyal  to  the 
trusts  of  citizenship,  and  good  citizenship  contemplates  and  em- 
bodies the  law-abiding  life. 

There  have  been  times  in  the  history  of  nations  when  unjust 
laws  were  enacted  and  proclaimed  by  imperial  edict,  then  prosecuted 
by  officers  not  responsible  to  the  people.  But  those  who  were  instru- 
mental in  establishing  this  union  of  states  in  America  were  actuated 
by  the  spirit  of  justice  to  enact  such  laws  as  would  best  promote 
the  general  welfare  of  all  citizens.  The  great,  inspired  Constitution 
was  formulated  and  adopted  as  an  added  means  to  secure  the  bless- 
ings of  liberty  and  the  national  virtue  of  domestic  tranquility  for 
all  who  should  live  under  its  influence.  The  laws  which  have  since 
been  made  have  been  made  for  the  same  general  purpose  for  which 
the  nation  itself  was  established. 

The  spirit  with  which  our  statesmen  have  faced  their  responsi- 
bility of  formulating  reason  and  justice  into  law  is  impressively 
expressed  by  a  former  member  of  Congress,  Bourke  Cockran.  He 
explains,  *  *  *  "The  duty  of  Congress,  it  seems,  is  to  ex- 
amine closely  the  conditions  of  the  country  and  keep  itself  constantly 
informed  of  everything  affecting  the  common  welfare.  Whenever  a 
wrong  is  found  to  exist  with  which  the  nation  can  deal  more  ef- 
fectively than  a  state  it  is  the  business  of  Congress  to  suggest  a 
remedy.  *  *  *  The  first  step  is  legislation," — providing  law. 
The  state  in  its  sphere  guards  the  general  welfare  in  the  same  spirit 
with  its  law-making  power,  and  provision.  Our  system  of  laws  has 
grown  as  national  and  local  needs  have  required.  I  do  not  wish 
to  evade  these  laws  for  they  were  made  for  me  and  for  my  good, 
as  well  as  for  the  general  good  of  all  my  friends  and  fellow-citizens. 
It  is  clearly  my  duty  to  myself  to  be  in  harmony  with  them. 


WHY  SHOULD   I   BE   LAW-OBSERVING?  211 

This  nation  has  grown  in  population  and  power  as  well  as 
in  laws,  until  now  it  is  a  leader  among  all  nations.  With  pride 
I  realize  our  influence  among  the  great  powers  of  the  entire  world. 
I  thrill  to  know  the  profound  importance  of  this  government  in 
relation  to  international  affairs.  Our  contributions  in  direction  of 
world  peace  have  recently  attracted  the  attention  of  great  men  and 
great  nations  all  over  the  earth.  Our  general  contributions  toward 
progress  have  challenged  international  respect,  and  have  demanded 
prestige  for  American  people  in  the  minds  of  the  progressive  world. 
Also  to  have  the  honest  conviction  that,  as  President  Coolidge  said 
in  his  Armistice  Day  address,  "No  citizen  of  the  United  States  needs 
apologize  to  anybody,  anywhere,  for  not  having  done  our  duty  in 
defense  of  the  cause  of  world  liberty," — increases  the  value  of  citizen- 
ship and  must  thrill  every  citizen.  The  world  is  now  marveling 
at  the  obvious  manifestation  of  popular  participation  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  great  democracy  in  its  affairs.  The  recent  election 
showed  that  the  will  of  the  people,  which  is  the  source  of  govern- 
mental authority  in  the  United  States,  was  expressed  by  more  men 
and  women  than  ever  before  in  any  single  election  in  the  history 
of  nations  that  have  engaged  in  the  election  of  officers  and  in  deter- 
mining the  policies  of  administration.  I  need  but  think  of  these 
things  to  feel  thankful  for  my  membership  among  this  great  people 
under  the  Stars  and  Stripes  in  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  brave. 

Idle  and  passive  thankfulness  can  in  no  way  represent  my 
reaction  to  the  numerous  advantages  I  enjoy  as  a  free  citizen  of  this 
free  land.  Instead,  active  appreciation  vividly  expressed  by  a  whole- 
hearted support  to  ;the  principles  that  have  made  us  great  is  my 
natural  if  not  my  expedient  response. 

I  can  not  receive  and  enjoy  the  blessings  derived  from  citizenship 
and  at  the  same  time  be  engaged  in  impeding  the  effective  operation 
of  the  forces  of  law  that  have  made  and  are  now  making  the  blessings 
possible.  It  is  no  less  than  a  duty  which  I  owe  to  my  country  for 
me  to  cooperate  with  its  principles.  This  throws  me  into  direct 
contact  with  the  laws  that  govern.  My  normal  conclusion  is  that 
I  must  observe  them. 

Just  as  the  democracy  is  dependent  upon  its  members  for  its 
power  and  achievements,  so  the  proper  functioning  of  these  laws  is 
dependent  upon  the  people,  you  and  me.  If  it  is  a  great  privilege  to 
live  in  the  United  States  now,  it  is  an  honor  to  those  noble  men 
and  noble  women  who  have  moulded  and  upheld  its  standards,  its 
traditions,  its  laws.  If  it  continues  to  be  a  great  privilege  to  live  here 
then  there  will  be  honor  for  us  upon  whom  the  responsibility  now 
rests. 

In  my  action  toward  the  provisions  of  liberty  which  character- 


212  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

ize  America  and  endear  it  as  a  home  to  its  citizens,  it  is  my  duty  to 
be  constructive.  My  country  is  as  a  consecrated  trust  to  me.  It  is 
handed  to  me  with  the  stamp  of  the  life  work  and  life  blood  of  those 
who  have  made  it,  clearly  imprinted  upon  it.  I  must  live  in  it  and 
pass  it  on  to  others.  Were  I  to  contribute  to  internal  friction  by 
law  violation  I  should  be  accountable  for  damaging  my  trust;  where- 
as, by  observing  its  statutes  I  can  strengthen  my  trust  and  pass  it  on 
with  service  rendered.  This  latter  alternative  appeals  to  me,  it 
seems  the  better  and  is  reason  why  I  should  be  law-observing. 

That  laws  are  necessary  admits  of  no  doubt.  One  of  the 
revelations  given  to  the  Prophet  Joseph,  in  contemplation  of  the 
immensity  of  space  depths,  explains:  "There  is  no  space  in  the 
which  there  is  no  kingdom  and  no  kingdom  in  the  which  there  is 
no  law."  Could  we  dare  imagine  the  universe  with  no  laws  of 
control?  Think  of  planets  and  planetary  systems;  the  myriads  of 
stars  that  bespangle  the  firmament  released  from  the  domain  of  law. 
The  immediate  "wreck  of  matter"  and  "crash  of  worlds"  would 
reduce  the  present  organized  universe  into  confusion  and  chaos. 
Nor  are  the  laws  of  our  land  less  important  to  our  national  security. 
The  effective  operation  of  law  constitutes  our  governing  power  and 
control  and  is  essential  to  our  national  continuity.  Nor  am  I  over- 
emphasizing the  importance  of  obeying  law  when  I  say  it  is  a  funda- 
mental pledge  in  my  religious  faith  "to  honor,  obey,  and  sustain 
the  law." 

By  observing  law  I  discharge  an  important  duty  to  myself  and 
to  my  country.  (I  also  uphold  a  salutary  pledge.  Law  observance 
is  the  one  important  practice  I  can  teach  which  will  contribute  to 
the  greatness  and  continuity  of  the  greatest  nation  on  earth,  and  this, 
I  am  convinced,  is  most  effectively  taught  by  example. 


"It  is,  indeed,  right  that  we  should  look  for,  and  hasten,  so  far  as  in  us 
lies,  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God;  but  not  that  we  should  check  any  human 
effort  by  anticipations  of  its  approach.  We  shall  hasten  it  best  by  endeavoring 
to  work  out  the  tasks  that  are  appointed  for  us  here;  and,  therefore,  reasoning 
as  if  the  world  were  to  continue  under  its  existing  dispensation,  and  the  powers 
which  have  just  been  granted  to  us  were  to  be  continued  through  myraids  of 
future  ages." — Ruskin. 


"The  greatest  man  is  he  who  chooses  the  right  with  invincible  resolution, 
who  resists  the  sorest  temptations  from  within  and  without,  who  bears  the 
heaviest  burdens  cheerfully,  who  is  calmest  in  storms  and  most  fearless  under 
menace  and  frowns,  whose  reliance  on  truth,  on  virtue,  on  God,  is  most  un- 
faltering; and  is  this  a  greatness  which  is  apt  to  make  a  show,  or  which  is  mo:t 
likely  to  abound  in  conspicuous  station?" — William  Ellery  Charming. 

"There  was  never  yet  a  truly  great  man  that  was  not  at  the  same  time 
truly  virtuous." — Benjamin  Franklin. 


Lessons  from  Common  Things 

By  Dr.  Franklin  S.  Harris,  President  of  Brigham  Young 

University 

1.  WATER 

THINGS  which  seem  to  be  most  wonderful,  if  observed  fre- 
quently enough,  become  commonplace.  This  is  probably  the 
reason  why  we  cease  to  be  awed  by  some  of  the  objects  sur- 
rounding us  which  in  reality  have  remarkable  qualities.  There  are 
people  who  are  scarcely  conscious  of  the  many  things  surrounding 
them,  which  make  up  their  environment.  They  are  willing  to  accept 
the  universe  as  having  come  to  us  by  accident,  or  perhaps  they  do 
no  speculating  as  to  how  it  all  came  about.  I  wish  to  have  the 
reader  do  a  little  thinking  on  the  subject  by  having  him  look  care- 
fully at  some  of  the  most  common  substances  which  surround  us. 

Probably  no  substance  enters  more  into  our  daily  lives  than 
water.  At  the  same  time  there  is  nothing  which  should  challenge 
our  wonder  more  than  this  ever-present  fluid.  Let  us  investigate  this 
ordinary,  colorless,  almost  tasteless  liquid.  In  the  first  place,  no  life 
whatever  could  exist  without  it.  It  is  necessary  to  every  living  cell. 
No  part  of  any  animal  or  plant  body  could  remain  alive,  nor  could 
it  function  or  grow,  without  the  presence  of  water.  It  is  Nature's 
universal  solvent,  and  it  has  many  properties  which  make  it  indis- 
pensable. We  all  know  how  necessary  it  is  for  us  to  drink  water 
regularly,  how  it  is  used  as  a  medium  in  which  to  cook  food,  how  it 
serves  to  produce  crops,  to  convey  commerce,  and  to  serve  man  in 
many  capacities.  Many  of  us.  however,  are  not  acquainted  with 
some  of  its  other  properties  which  make  it  particularly  valuable 
in  connection  with  life  on  the  earth. 

The  property  spoken  of  as  specific  heat  is  of  great  interest. 
Water  has  the  ability  to  absorb  more  heat  in  changing  one  degree 
of  temperature  than  any  other  common  substance.  Ordinary  soil 
holds  only  two-tenths  and  iron  one-tenth  as  much  heat  as  water; 
and  for  a  given  volume,  water  will  hold  more  than  300  times  as 
much  heat  as  air.  This  property  makes  water  unusually  valuable 
in  preventing  rapid  climatic  changes,  and  also  in  regulating  the  heat 
of  the  body.  These  are  so  important  that  it  would  be  very  dif- 
ficult for  people  to  live  on  the  earth  if  the  specific  heat  of  water 
were  not  high. 

Then  take  the  property  of  latent  heat.  Water  at  the  boiling 
point  stores  up  more  than  five  times  as  much  heat  in  evaporating  as  it 
requires  to  change  its  temperature  from  freezing  to  the  boiling  point. 


214  IMPROVEMENT    ERA 

If  it  did  not  have  this  property  of  storing  large  quantities  of  latent 
heat  we  should  constantly  find  ourselves  in  very  serious  difficulties. 
As  soon  as  water  reached  the  boiling  point  it  would  all  be  evaporated 
into  steam,  whereas  with  its  present  property  the  steam  makes  a  great 
reservoir  for  heat  and  thereby  keeps  the  water  from  all  boiling  away 
with  explosive  rapidity. 

Likewise,  when  a  pound  of  water  freezes,  it  gives  off  enough 
latent  heat  to  do  the  work  required  in  lifting  55  tons  to  a  height  of 
one  foot,  or  conversely  when  ice  melts,  that  quantity  of  heat  is  ab- 
sorbed. This  storage  of  latent  heat  in  changing  from  ice  to  water 
and  from  water  to  steam  is  one  of  the  great  safety  valves  of  the 
world.  If  there  were  no  latent  heat  of  freezing  and  vaporization 
it  would  probably  be  impossible  for  people  to  live  on  the  earth.  As 
soon  as  the  temperature  of  the  air  reached  the  freezing  point,  all  the 
water  would  immediately  become  solid.  Also,  in  the  spring,  as  soon 
as  the  temperature  of  the  air  rose  above  the  freezing  point  all  the 
ice  would  melt  at  once  and  there  would  be  terrible  floods  everywhere. 

Another  very  useful  property  which  water  has  is  what  is  called 
its  temperature  of  least  expansion.  There  is  a  general  maxim  that 
heat  expands  and  cold  contracts.  This  applies  to  water,  along  with 
other  substances,  until  just  before  the  water  reaches  the  freezing 
point,  when  it  expands  instead  of  continuing  to  contract.  This 
means  that  ice  is  lighter  than  water  which  is  near  the  freezing  point 
and  that  ice  will  therefore  float. 

If  water  continued  to  contract  as  it  became  colder,  as  the  other 
substances  do,  imagine  what  might  happen.  As  soon  as  the  freezing 
temperature  were  reached  and  ice  were  formed,  it  would  immediately 
sink  to  the  bottom  instead  of  remaining  at  the  top  and  more  ice 
would  be  formed  and  fall  to  the  bottom.  This  would  result  in  the 
complete  freezing  of  the  water  in  lakes  and  rivers,  killing  fish  and 
other  aquatic  life,  diverting  rivers  from  their  channels  and  leaving 
the  ice  at  the  bottom  where  it  would  require  long  periods  to  melt 
again.  But  with  this  wonderful  property  which  water  has,  the  ice 
remains  over  the  surface  and  protects  the  remainder  of  the  water 
from  freezing  and  thereby  prevents  many  disastrous  conditions. 

If  space  permitted,  we  might  go  on  at  considerable  length  dis- 
cussing vapor  tension,  surface  tension,  chemical  neutrality,  and  the 
other  properties  of  water  which  make  it  a  substance  useful  to  all 
plants  and  animals.  We  need  but  to  think  of  latent  heat  and  the 
high  specific  heat  of  water,  as  well  as  its  temperature  of  maximum 
density,  to  realize  that  if  water  did  not  have  these  peculiar  and 
unusual  properties  it  would  not  be  possible  for  any  person  to  live 
on  the  earth. 

It  is  a  little  difficult  to  understand  how  people  who  have  made  a 


LESSONS   FROM  COMMON   THINGS  215 

study  of  nature,  particularly  persons  who  have  a  scientific  turn  of 
mind,  can  know  these  things  and  at  the  same  time  believe  that  the 
wonderful  harmony  was  brought  about  by  a  mere  accident  of  nature. 
The  more  I  study  nature  and  go  into  the  properties  of  matter,  and 
especially  some  of  the  very  common  substances,  the  more  am  I  led  to 
the  conviction  that  it  is  preposterous  to  consider  any  of  these  to 
be  merely  accidental.  Certainly,  there  must  be  a  great  intelligence  in 
the  universe;  certainly  this  intelligence  has  been  operating  through 
countless  ages  to  discover  law  and  to  put  into  operation  laws  that 
make  possible  life  and  development  on  the  earth.  It  seems  to  me  that 
the  least  we,  who  are  favored  by  the  many  blessings  of  the  earth, 
can  do  is  to  feel  reverence  for  the  Ruler  who  made  possible  this 
harmony. 

Only  a  very  egotistical  person  would  fail  to  be  impressed  by 
the  fact  that  even  the  common  things  of  the  world  have  been  planned 
and  are  guided  by  a  Master  Intelligence. 


Winter's  Many  Blessings 

Winter  many  blessings  leaves, 

Though  the  winds  do  fiercely  blow, 
Loudly  howling  in  our  hills, 

Tossing  here  and  there  the  snow, 
Filling  up  the  deep  ravines. 

It  is  there  reserved  in  store, 
Safely  kept  for  future  use, 

In  the  hills,  God's  reservoir. 

Though  the  winter  may  be  long, 

It  brings  blessings  manifold, 
Greater  treasure  to  us  all, 

More  so  than  all  mines  of  gold. 
Without  frosty,  glistening  snow, 

All  our  farming  would  be  vain. 
It  gives  water  for  our  crops 

When  in  summer  we  need  rain. 

Rivulets  from  melting  snow, 

Rushing  over  cliffs  they  run. 
Soon  they  form  a  mighty  stream, 

When  they  gather  into  one. 
Dashing  o'er  the  rocky  steeps, 

Down  the  canyon  now  they  pour, 
Work  of  God  we  surely  see 
In  our  hills,  his  reservoir. 

Sandy,  Utah  DAVID  ARCHIBM.3 


Herbert  Hoover 

By  Mary  C.  Kimball 


On  August  10,  1874,  in  a  small 
Quaker  community  in  Iowa,  there  was 
born  to  Jesse  Clark  Hoover  and  his 
wife,  Hulda,  a  baby  boy  who  was  to 
become  internationally  known  for  his 
wonderful  service  to  humanity.  Their 
son  was  not  long  to  know  the  loving 
care  of  his  parents,  for  his  father  died  in 
1880  and  his  mother  in  1884. 

His  father  was  the  village  black- 
smith. He  repaired  farm  machinery 
and  household  utensils;  he  manufac- 
tured things  made  of  metal  and  sold 
farm  implements.  His  two  sons,  Her- 
bert and  Theodore,  inherited  this  in- 
ventive turn  of  their  father  and  later 
Herbert's  two  sons  showed  the  same 
bent. 

His  mother  had  unusual  mental 
power.  After  her  husband's  death,  she 
became  a  preacher  at  Quaker  meetings 
and  was  a  very  effective  exhorter.  She 
was  attractive,  but  shy  and  reserved. 
Her  son,  Herbert,  inherited  these  qual- 
ities. 

After  their  parent's  death,  the  two 
boys  and  their  sister,  Mary,  were  cared 
for  by  their  Quaker  uncles  and  aunts. 
At  one  time  Herbert  was  sent  to  live 
with  an  uncle,  Laban  Miles,  the  United 
States  Government  Indian  Agent  for 
the  Osage  tribe  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory. During  the  eight  months  he 
spent  there  he  learned  much  concerning 
the  Redmen.  The  next  two  years  he 
lived  with  his  uncle,  Allen  Hoover, 
and  then  went  to  his  uncle,  John  Min- 
thorn,  in  Oregon.  Two  or  three  years 
later  he  went  to  his  grandfather  Miles. 
but  he  found  him  so  severe  that  he  de- 
cided to  leave.  He  went  to  Portland 
and  Salem,  determined  to  fit  himself  for 
the  college  he  desired  to  enter.  In 
Salem  he  lived  with  his  Uncle  John, 
but  in  Portland  he  lived  alone. 

He   attributes   a   great    part   of   his 


desire  to  study  science  to  the  visit  of 
a  friend  of  his  father's.  This  man, 
on  his  way  to  investigate  a  mine,  stop- 
ped off  to  see  the  son  of  his  old  friend. 
He  stayed  at  a  hotel  for  two  or  three 
days  and  spent  as  much  time  with 
Herbert  as  school  and  chores  would 
permit.  His  talk  was  chiefly  about  the 
difference  between  the  work  and 
achievement  of  one  with  and  one  with- 
out a  profession.  While  Herbert  never 
saw  this  man  again,  his  talk  about 
mining  engineering  more  than  any 
other  external  influence,  determined 
Hoover's  education  and  adopted  pro- 
fession. 

He  desired  to  attend  high  school  as 
a  preparation  for  college,  but  since  he 
could  not  earn  full  wages  while  going 
to  school,  he  studied  at  night  and 
worked  all  day.  Back  of  his  Uncle 
John's  real  estate  office  was  a  small 
room  half  filled  with  old  boxes  and 
bags.  He  fitted  it  with  a  bed,  lamp 
and  table.  Here  he  slept  and  studied. 
He  ate  at  restaurants  and  boarding 
houses.  He  relates  that  once  he  stood 
entranced  before  a  sign,  "Table  d'  hote 
75c,"  but  on  reflection  he  felt  that  no 
human  stomach  could  possibly  hold  all 
the  food  that  75c  could  pay  for  so  he 
went  elsewhere. 

In  two  years  he  felt  ready  to  try  the 
entrance  examination  for  college.  Stan- 
ford, because  its  "romantic  found- 
ing, picturesque  setting,  the  terms  it 
offered  to  poor  students,  the  freedom 
it  permitted  in  the  selection  of  studies, 
its  strong  leaning  toward  science," 
made  Hoover  feel  that  it  was  the  uni- 
versity he  desired  to  study  in.  He  felt 
that  there  he  might  become  like  the 
wonderful  man  who  had  visited  him 

In  1891,  Professor  Swain  was  sent 
to  Portland  to  give  entrance  examina- 
tions for  Stanford.  When  Hoover  read 


HERBERT    HOOVER 


217 


the  published  requirements,  he  realized 
that  his  self-preparation  had  been  one- 
sided. He  found  in  the  examination 
that  he  was  unprepared  in  grammar 
and  rhetoric.  Fortune  was  on  his  side, 
however,  as  the  professor  who  was 
head  of  the  department  of  mathematics, 
was  a  Quaker,  and  knew  a  student 
when  he  saw  him.  He  was  attracted 
to  Herbert  by  his  "evident  strength  of 
will."  He  said,  "I  observed  that  he 
put  his  teeth  together  with  determina- 
tion to  pass  the  examination  at  any 
cost.  He  was  evidently  summoning 
every  pound  of  energy  he  possessed  to 
answer  correctly  the  questions  before 
him.  I  was  naturally  interested  in 
him.  On  inquiry,  I  learned  that  he 
had  studied  only  two  books  of  plane 
geometry  and  was  trying  to  solve  an 
original  problem  based  on  the  fourth. 
While  he  was  unable  to  do  this,  he  did 
much  better,  for  the  intelligence  and 
superior  will  he  revealed  in  the  attempt 
convinced  me  that  such  a  boy  needed 
only  to  be  given  a  chance.  So,  al- 
though he  could  not  pass  all  of  the 
tests,  I  told  him  to  come  to  my  room 
at  the  hotel  after  the  examination,  as  I 
would  like  to  talk  with  him.  He  came 
promptly  at  the  appointed  hour  with 
a  friend  of  his.  *  *  *  The  two 
boys  invited  me  and  Mrs.  Swain  to 
stop  at  Salem  to  visit  them,  which  we 
did.  I  learned  there  that  Herbert 
Hoover  was  an  industrious,  thought- 
ful, ambitious  boy,  earning  his  own 
living  while  he  studied."  Mr. 
Swain  told  Hoover  that  if  he  would 
study  diligently  for  the  rest  of  the 
summer  on  the  literary  subjects  he  was 
lacking  in,  and  then  come  early  to 
Stanford  for  some  coaching,  he  would 
be  admitted  to  the  University. 

The  following  October  he  was  en- 
rolled among  the  first  students.  In 
time  he  graduated  from  Stanford  and 
later  he  became  a  patron  and  trustee, 
doing  much  for  the  institution  that 
had  done  so  much  for  him. 

When  he  reached  the  school  he  had 
only  $200.  He  did  odd  jobs  to  pay 
for  his  board  and  room.     His  college 


life  showed  many  of  the  characteris- 
tics for  which  he  is  noted  today.  He 
did  things  "promptly,  positively, 
quietly."  He  showed  a  marked  faculty 
i<~v  "organizing  and  administering." 
One  time  when  Dr.  Branner  heard  the 
students  talking  about  "Hoover's 
luck,"  he  said:  "He  has  not  had 
luck;  he  has  had  reward.  If  you  would 
work  half  as  hard  and  half  as  intelli- 
gently as  he  does,  you  would  have  half 
his  luck.  If  I  tell  any  one  of  you 
to  do  a  thing  for  me,  I  have  to  come 
around  in  half  an  hour  to  see  if  you 
have  done  it.  But  I  can  tell  Hoover  to 
do  a  thing,  and  never  think  of  it  again. 
I  know  it  will  be  done,  and  he  doesn't 
ask  me  how  to  do  it,  either.  If  I  told 
him  to  start  to  Kamchatka  tomorrow 
to  bring  me  back  a  walrus  tooth,  I'd 
never  hear  of  it  again  until  he  came 
back  with  the  tooth.  And  then  I'd 
ask  him  how  he  had  done  it." 

While  studying  geology  he  also 
studied  a  beautiful,  intelligent  girl  who 
majored  in  geology.  He  decided  that 
she  was  the  girl  for  him  and  that  he 
would  marry  her. 

Hoover  began  his  mining  career  in 
Grass  Valley  in  the  Sierras  with  pick 
and  shovel.  The  hours  were  long  and 
the  work  underground.  He  rose  rap- 
idly and  became  night  shift  boss. 

He  soon  decided  to  get  work  with 
the  best  mining  engineer  on  the  coast. 
Louis  Janin.  He  went  to  Mr.  Janin's 
office  in  San  Francisco.  He  was  jn- 
formed  that  there  was  no  vacancy  and  a 
long  waiting  list.  The  only  help 
needed  was  a  typist.  "All  right."  said 
Hoover,  "I'll  take  it.  I  can't  come  for 
a  few  days,  but  I'll  come  next  Tues- 
day, say."  (This  was  Friday.)  He 
knew  he  had  to  learn  typewriting  be- 
fore he  could  begin  the  work.  He 
rented  a  machine,  by  Tuesday  he  cou!d 
use  it. 

Janin  was  serving  as  an  expert  in 
a  mining  case  involving  a  mine  in  Grass 
Valley  that  Hoover  knew  from  work- 
ing there.  When  he  took  the  typed 
sheets  that  he  had  copied  to  his  em- 
ployer he  told  him  that  the  line  of  pro- 


218 


IMPROVEMENT    ERA 


ccdure  was  all  wrong  and  explained 
why.  In  so  doing,  some  facts  not  yet 
published,  that  he  had  helped  to  dis- 
cover while  working  there,  came  out. 
The  argument  was  changed  and  the 
case  won. 

Hoover  was  too  valuable  to  remain 
a  typist  so  he  was  made  assistant  to 
an  older  staff  man.  On  his  way  to  his 
new  post  he  wrote  to  the  geology  girl 
from  Nevada  and  later  from  Wyoming. 
Idaho,  Arizona,  New  Mexico.  Janin 
noted  that  his  reports  showed  knowl- 
edge of  geology  and  mining,  but  also 
keen  business  sense.  He  was  next  sent 
to  manage  a  mine  near  Carlisle,  New 
Mexico. 

Two  years  after  Hoover's  gradua- 
tion, the  West  Australian  mining  boom 
occurred.  Janin  was  asked  by  a  Lon- 
don firm  to  recommend  a  competent 
man.  He  talked  the  conditions  over 
with  Hoover  and  told  him  he  believed 
there  were  greater  opportunities  in 
Australia  for  him  than  the  Pacific 
Coast  offered.  Just  before  Hoover 
started  for  Europe,  Janin  said,  "Now, 
look  here,  Hoover,  I  have  cabled  Lon- 
don swearing  to  your  full  technical 
qualifications  and  I  am  not  afraid  of 
your  letting  me  down  on  that.  But 
these  conservative  Londoners  have 
stipulated  that  you  should  be  thirty- 
five  years  old.  I  have  wired  that  I 
was  sorry  to  have  to  tell  them  that  you 
are  not  quite  thirty-three.  Don't  for- 
get that  my  reputation  depends  on  your 
looking  thirty-three  by  the  time  you 
get  to  London.  (Hoover  was  then 
twenty-three  and  looked  two  years 
younger.)  He  began  growing  a  beard 
on  his  way  east.  When  he  appeared 
before  perhaps  the  greatest  mining  firm 
in  the  world  the  man  spoken  to  stared 
at  him  and  said.  "How  remarkable  you 
Americans  are.  You  have  not  yet 
learned  to  grow  old,  either  individually 
or  as  a  nation.  Now  you,  for  example, 
do  not  look  a  day  over  twenty-five. 
How  do  you  do  it?" 

He  found  life  hard  in  the  Australian 
mining  camps.  While  there  were  many 
opportunities  to  go  wrong,  he   "kept 


his  body  and  soul  clean  and  just  ever- 
lastingly worked."  As  a  result  he 
made  good  mines  out  of  bad  ones.  Dur 
ing  the  two  years  he  spent  there  he 
made  a  big  reputation  in  Australian 
and  London  mining  circles.  It  was 
realized  that  his  limit  was  "the  limit  of 
the  possible." 

At  this  time  a  Chinaman  formed  a 
cabinet  in  China  that  decided  to  effect 
"a  coordinated  control  of  all  the  mines 
of  the  empire."  There  was  established 
a  Department  of  Mines  with  Chang 
Yen  Mow  at  its  head.  He  knew  that 
his  fellow-countrymen  knew  little 
about  mining,  so  he  decided  to  get  a 
foreigner  to  assist  him  in  managing  the 
mines  of  the  empire.  He  wanted  his 
"Director  General  of  the  Mines"  to 
know  much  about  mines  and  to  be 
honest.  He  asked  the  firm  for  which 
Hoover  worked  to  recommend  such  a 
man.  They  recommended  Hoover. 
The  place  was  offered  to  him  and  he 
accepted. 

In  two  weeks  after  he  had  received 
the  offer  he  was  on  his  way  to  London 
to  make  a  report  to  his  employers  and 
to  get  information  regarding  his  new 
work.  He  spent  two  weeks  in  Lon- 
don, eight  days  crossing  the  Atlantic, 
two  days  in  New  York,  five  crossing 
the  continent  to  California. 

He  felt  the  time  had  now  come  to 
marry  the  girl,  Lou  Henry,  he  had 
for  four  years  desired  for  his  wife.  On 
Friday,  February  10,  1899,  they  were 
married  at  noon  in  Monterey.  At  two 
o'clock  they  left  for  San  Francisco.  At 
twelve  noon  on  Saturday  they  sailed 
for  China  and  were  on  the  boat  one 
month. 

For  centuries  the  mines  in  China 
had  belonged  to  the  Crown  and  had 
been  leased  out.  If  a  lessor  put  money 
into  modernizing  the  mine  more  rent 
was  exacted.  The  mining  laws  and 
methods  used  were  very  primitive. 
Hoover  "plunged  into  the  work  of  ex- 
amining and  planning  and  codifying 
with  the  zeal  of  a  naturalist  in  an  un- 
explored jungle."  He  examined  by 
day  and  studied  the  mining  laws  of  all 


HERBERT   HOOVER 


219 


times  and  all  places  at  night.  He  sent 
for  experts  who  had  worked  with  him 
before  in  America  and  Australia  and 
who  were  devoted  to  "the  Chief"  as 
they  called  him. 

The  Boxer  Uprising  compelled  Hoo 
ver  to  organize  a  military  defense  to 
protect  his  wife,  his  home  and  his  em 
ployees.  He  and  his  wife  and  their 
Caucasian  helpers  could  have  gotten 
out  if  he  had  been  willing  to  desert  his 
Chinese  helpers.  As  his  wife  would 
not  leave  him,  they  stayed  through  the 
siege  of  Tientsin. 

While  in  China  he  did  a  great  deal 
of  work  as  consulting  engineer  and 
later  as  general  manager  of  the  "Chi- 
nese Engineering  and  Mining  Com- 
pany." He  built  a  railway,  developed 
cement  works,  handled  a  fleet  of  steam- 
ers and  built  a  harbor  to  give  coal  a 
proper  outlet.  He  superintended  the 
work  of  about  twenty  thousand  men. 

In  1902  he  returned  to  London.  He 
was  now  a  junior  partner  in  the  Eng- 
lish firm  under  whose  direction  he  had 
gone  to  Australia.  As  he  was  the  firm's 
chief  engineer  and  field  expert  he  trav- 
eled extensively. 

During  one  of  his  stays  in  the  great 
capital  he  discovered  a  defalcation.  A 
man  connected  with  the  firm  had  lost 
in  speculation  more  than  a  million  dol- 
lars which  he  had  obtained  from  the 
company's  friends  and  clients  by  issu- 
ing and  selling  false  stocks.  While  the 
firm  could  not  be  held  technically  re- 
sponsible, Hoover  announced  that  they 
would  make  the  defalcation  good.  He 
thus  lost  his  personal  fortune  and  had 
a  long  and  difficult  struggle  to  keep 
the  firm  in  business.  After  four  years' 
struggle  ending  with  success,  he  sev- 
ered his  connection  with  the  firm  in 
1908.  He  was  now  thirty-four  and 
was  rated  as  the  best  consulting  mining 
engineer  in  the  world. 

He  soon  went  to  South  Australia 
and  undertook  a  big  constructive  piece 
of  work  in  connection  with  the  build- 
ing of  the  Broken  Hill  Mines,  in  the 
great  Stony  Desert  between  four  and 
five  hundred  miles  north  of  Adelaide. 


The  conditions  for  living  and  working 
around  these  mines  were  terrible.  He 
rehabilitated  two  or  three  abandoned 
mines  and  made  them  profitable.  A 
factor  of  this  success  was  the  origina- 
tion and  development  of  a  process  for 
extracting  zinc  from  ores  previously 
treated  for  other  metals  and  that  had 
been  thrown  away  as  useless.  Four- 
teen million  tons  of  such  residue  were 
in  the  dumps  of  the  Broken  Hill  Mines. 
He  introduced  new  processes  for  han- 
dling low-grade  sulphide  ores.  He  here 
demonstrated  one  of  his  beliefs;  viz  . 
that  the  backbone  of  mining  rests  in 
handling  large  quantities  of  low-grade 
ores,  thus  making  mining  a  certain, 
stable  business  and  taking  it  from  the 
realm  of  speculation.  All  this  he  did 
in  seven  months. 

He  returned  to  London  and  gath- 
ered together  thirty-five  or  forty  skilled 
young  mining  engineers.  He  became 
chief  consulting  engineer  for  a  large 
number  of  mining  comp_nies.  Any- 
thing he  was  connected  with  gave  in- 
vestors confidence  in  its  honesty  and 
success.  Two  of  his  largest  under- 
takings were  at  Kyshtim,  Russia,  in  the 
Urals,  and  at  Irtish,  near  Manchuria. 
His  work  at  Kyshtim  shows  his  en- 
gineering genius,  his  social  nature,  his 
humane  instincts  and  his  idealism  and 
democracy.  These  mines  had  for 
years  been  the  richest  producers  of  their 
kind  in  the  world.  They  were  con- 
ducted by  old  methods,  became  run 
down  and  labor  was  paid  only  a  pit- 
tance. Hoover  made  a  thorough  ex- 
amination. He  advised  that  the  plant 
be  scrapped,  that  the  miners  and  their 
families  be  moved  to  a  site  nearer  the 
source  of  the  ore,  and  that  there  a  mod- 
ern plant  be  built.  "First  of  all  he 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  a  mine 
whose  workers  were  housed  like  dogs 
in  tumble-down  shacks  surrounded  by 
filth  and  ugliness,  deprived  of  all  com- 
forts and  conveniences.  Secondly,  it 
was  simpler  to  start  new  works  on 
modern  principles  than  to  spend  time 
and  money  tryin^  to  modernize  the 
old.    *      *      *    His  plan  was  to  spend 


220 


IMPROVEMENT     ERA 


several  millions.  First,  to  build  a  house, 
with  shower  bath  and  sanitary 
plumbing  for  every  man  and  wife  con- 
nected with  the  mine.  Second,  to  build 
new  mine  buildings  and  install  new 
machinery.  Then  to  pay  every  work- 
man a  real  wage  for  his  work."  His 
plan  was  carried  out.  He  brought  new 
life  and  happiness  to  the  people.  He 
built  350  miles  of  railroad.  Door 
knobs,  steel  rails  and  steamboats  were 
manufactured.  Just  as  the  property- 
was  on  a  paying  basis  war  broke  out, 
so  the  money  invested  will  probably 
never  be  retrieved.  One  of  the  best 
known  Russian  women  in  the  United 
States  said  in  1921.  "Why.  away  back 
in  1912.  I  could  have  told  you  who 
was  the  great  American.  We  in  Rus- 
sia knew  all  about  him  from  what  he 


had  done  at  Kyshtim.  The  mines  there 
were  the  first  lesson  we  had  in  what 
American  democracy  means — in  the 
things  that  America  stands  for,  in  op- 
portunity and  fair  dealing,  and  decent 
living  and  hope  for  the  common  man. 
The  America  of  our  dreams  meant  just 
Herbert  Hoover  to  us  Russians." 

Under  his  supervision  many  large 
undertakings  were  operated  in  Colo- 
rado, Mexico,  Korea,  the  Malay  Straits 
Settlements,  South  Africa  and  India. 
In  India  he  achieved  his  greatest  at- 
tainment in  mining.  He  developed  the 
greatest  silver-lead  mines  in  the  world. 
This  took  five  years.  It  was  necessarv 
to  build  eight  miles  of  railroad  through 
a  jungle  and  over  two  mountain  ranges 
Thirty  thousand  men  were  employed. 
(To  be  Continued) 


"Peace  Be  Unto  You" 


There  is  power  in  words  and  they 
should  be  used  with  great  care.  The 
Lord  tells  us:  "For  by  thy  words  thou 
shalt  be  justified  and  by  thy  words 
thou  shalt  be  condemned."  (Matt. 
12:37.)  Thoughts  and  words  re-act. 
Alma  writes  his  son  Corianton:  "That 
which  ye  do  send  out  shall  return  untc 
you  again  and  be  restored."  (Alma 
41:15.) 

We  should  send  out  good  thoughts 
and  predict  desirable  things  for  others. 
At  the  dedication  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Temple,  President  Wilford  Wodruff 
said:  "If  you  prophesy  anything  about 
this  people,  prophesy  something 
good."  President  George  Q.  Cannon 
concurred  in  this  statement. 

An  aged  lady  in  trouble  talked  with 
a  guide  on  the  Temple  Block.  He 
was  kind  to  her.  Years  passed.  She 
came   again   recently   and   said:    "Ever 


since  you  blessed  me  with  peace,  I  have 
had  peace.  Nothing  troubles  me  any- 
more." The  guide  does  not  remember 
of  blessing  her  with  peace,  but  he  fre- 
quently says,  "Peace  be  unto  you." 
(St.  John  20:19).  Let  us  follow  his 
example  and  say  to  those  who  need  our 
encouragement,  "Peace  be  unto  you." 

By  sending  out  peace  we  receive 
peace.  The  way  to  become  happy  is 
to  make  others  happy.  "Men  are  that 
they  might  have  joy."  (2  Nephi  2: 
25.)  We  all  should  be  joy  dispensers, 
making  the  world  happier  for  our  hav- 
ing lived. 

A  Yale  student's  motto  was:  "Look 
for  the  best  in  every  person  you  meet." 
People  are  naturally  good  and  we  can 
find  things  to  admire  in  all  our  ac- 
quaintances. When  we  say  encourag- 
ing, helpful,  appreciative  words,  we 
brighten  their  lives  and  our  own  like- 
wise.— Joseph  S.  Peery. 


Giant  Lizards  of  Panama 

By  Harold  L.  Snow 


The  flesh  of  the  iguana  or  giant 
lizard  is  reckoned  among  the  delicacies 
of  the  tropics.  It  is  tender  and  of  a 
peculiarly  delicate  flavor,  not  unlike 
the  breast  of  a  spring  chicken,  accord- 
ing to  many  of  the  Panamanians  who 
use  the  reptile  as  one  of  their  choice 
foods. 

Jamaican  negroes  now  residing  in 
Panama  seem  to 
be  especially  fond 
of  the  iguana,  just 
as  their  American 
negro  brothers  rel- 
ish chicken  meat. 
This  perhaps  ac- 
counts for  the  fact 
that  the  iguana, 
which  at  one  time 
was  very  common 
in  J  a  m  a  i  c  a,  is 
gradually  being 
extirpated  from 
that  island. 

Iguanas  are  a 
family  of  lizards, 
but  the  name  is  sometimes  loosely  ap- 
plied to  many  species  of  lizards  such 
as  monitors  and  varans.  Iguanas  are 
distinguished  from  the  rest  of  their 
tribe  by  the  formation  of  their  teeth. 
These  are  round  at  the  roots,  swollen 
and  rather  compressed  at  the  tip  and 
notched  on  the  edge.  There  are  gener- 
ally some  teeth  on  the  palate  as  well. 

Perching  on  trees  and  living  almost 
wholly  among  the  branches,  to  which 
it  clings  with  its  powerful  feet  and 
claws,  the  iguana  finds  the  greater  part 
of  its  food  in  the  form  of  leaves,  fruits 
and  parasitic  plants,  which  in  the 
tropics  are  so  abundant.  Many  of  the 
creatures  prefer  the  branches  of  trees 
that  overhang  rivers  or  lakes.  When 
danger  threatens  they  drop  down  into 
the  water  and  swim  away.  Some  of 
them  remain  under  the  water  for  more 


The  Iguana.     Perfectly  Harmless.   Despite 

Its  Looks:  And  It  Tastes  Just  Like 

Chicken.     Its  Usual  Length  is 

FROM  4   TO   6   FEET 


than  an  hour,  but  in  general  the  iguana, 
after  dropping  or  being  thrown  into 
the  water,  swims  rapidly  to  the  shore, 
apparently  afraid  of  deep  water. 

While  in  captivity  it  is  known  to 
feed  upon  various  leaves  and  flowers. 
Some  persons  who  have  observed  the 
animal  in  its  native  state  claim  that  it 
also  eats  eggs,  insects  and  various  other 
animal  substances. 
The  usual  color 
of  the  iguana  is  a 
bright,  silvery 
green,  but  it  is 
quite  variable  even 
in  the  same  indi- 
vidual, changing 
by  the  influence  of 
locality,  weather 
and  temper.  On 
its  sides  a  few 
brown  bands  are 
generally  seen  and 
the  tail  is  marked 
with  brown  and 
green  of  various 
tones,  the  two  colors  being  arranged 
in  alternate  rings  all  the  way  down  to 
the  tip  of  its  tail. 

In  spite  of  its  being  quite  innocuous, 
the  sight  of  an  iguana  is  rather  for- 
bidding, and  when  it  obtains  its 
greatest  length,  of  four  to  six  feet, 
it  presents  a  sufficiently  formidable  ap- 
pearance to  warrant,  in  some  degree, 
the  fabulous  tales  which  have  been 
deduced  from  its  strange  shape.  It 
used  to  be  said  that  the  only  creature 
that  could  stand  before  the  iguana  and 
still  live  was  the  cock,  whose  shrill 
clarion  the  reptile  held  in  such  terror 
that  on  hearing  the  sound  it  fled  into 
the  depths  of  the  desert  and  there  con- 
cealed itself.  Therefore  travelers  who 
were  forced  to  journey  through  the 
sandy  deserts  of  Libya  were  advised 
always  to  carry  with  them  a  supply  of 


222 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


lively,  loud-voiced  cocks,  whose  vigor- 
ous crowings  would  protect  them  from 
the  iguanas  which  were  haunting  that 
part  of  the  country.  The  natives 
claimed  that  all  living  creatures,  ex- 
cept the  cock,  were  forced  to  fly  from 
the  sight  of  the  iguana.  Even  man, 
they  said,  would  fall  dead  from  the 
glance  of  the  reptile's  eye.  "This  poy- 
son,"  said  Top- 
sel,  "infecteth  the 
air,  and  the  air 
so  infected  killeth 
all  living  things, 
and  likewise  all 
green  things, 
fruits,  and  plants 
of  the  earth:  it 
burneth  up  the 
grasse  whereupon 
it  goeth  or  creep- 
eth,  and  the 
fowls  of  the  air 
fall  down  dead 
when  they  come 
near  his  den  or 
lodging.  Some- 
times he  biteth  a 
man  or  beast, 
and  by  that 
wound  the  blood 
t  u  r  n  e  t  h  into 
choler,  and  so  the 
whole  body  be- 
cometh  yellow  or 
gold,  presently 
killing  all  that 
touch  it  or  come 
near  it.  Even  a 
horseman  who 
had     taken     into 

his  hand  a  spear  which  had  been  thrust 
through  an  iguana  did  not  only  draw 
the  poyson  of  it  into  his  own  body  and 
so  dyed,  but  also  killed  his  horse  there- 
by." 

But  in  spite  of  these  ancient  super- 
stitions the  iguana  today  supplies  cut- 
lets which,  when  properly  dressed,  take 
a  very  high  place  among  the  delicacies 
of  a  well  spread  table  in  the  tropics. 
There  are  various  modes  of  cooking 


A  Six-Foot  Iguana 


the  iguana.  Roasting  and  boiling  are 
the  most  common,  and  making  it  into 
fricassee  is  a  mode  which  has  met  with 
general  approval. 

In  confinement  the  iguana  is  slow 
and  inactive  but  it  soon  learns  to  know 
its  keeper  and  to  him  it  shows  decided 
preference.  In  their  native  haunts 
during  the  warmer  portions  of  the  day 
the  creatures 
climb  some  low 
tree  and  stretch 
themselves  in  the 
sun,  their  tail 
hanging  down 
like  that  of  a 
snake.  While 
thus  basking  they 
are  not  easily 
aroused,  and, 
perhaps  trusting 
too  much  to  their 
protective  color- 
ing, can  be 
closely  approach- 
ed without  evinc- 
ing any  alarm. 
The  natives  take 
advantage  of  this 
indifference,  and 
while  the  animal 
thus  lies  gently 
eyeing  the  in- 
truder, a  noose 
attached  to  a 
long  stick  is  slip- 
ped over  its  head, 
and  the  unsus- 
pecting animal 
immediately  finds 
itself  jerked  from  its  elevated  position 
to  fall  a  victim  to  the  omnivorous 
appetite  of  man.  Two  centuries  ago 
the  pious  Pere  Labat  gave  an  interest- 
ing account  of  how  he  saw  iguanas 
captured:  "We  were  attended  by  a 
negro  who  carried  a  long  rod,  at  the 
end  of  which  was  a  piece  of  whip-cord 
with  a  running  knot.  After  beating 
about  the  bushes  for  some  time  the 
negro  discovered  our  game  basking  in 


GIANT  LIZARDS  OF  PANAMA 


223 


the  sun  on  the  dry  limb  of  a  tree.  Here- 
upon he  began  whistling  with  all  his 
might,  to  which  the  iguana  was  won- 
derfully attentive,  stretching  out  his 
neck  and  turning  his  head  as  if  to  enjoy 
it  more  fully.  The  negro  now  ap- 
proached, still  whistling,  and  advanced 
his  rod  gently,  and  began  tickling  with 
the  end  of  it  the  sides  and  throat  of 
the  iguana,  which  seemed  mightily 
pleased  with  the  operation,  for  he 
turned  on  his  back  and  stretched 
himself  out  like  a  cat  before  the 
fire  and  at  length  fell  asleep,  which 
the  negro  perceiving,  dexterously  slip- 
ped a  noose  over  his  head,  and  with  a 
jerk  brought  him  to  the  ground.  And 
good  sport  it  afforded,  to  see  the  crea- 
ture swell  like  a  turkey-cock  to  find 
himself  entrapped.  We  caught  more 
in  the  same  way  and  kept  one  alive 
seven  or  eight  days,  but  it  grieved  me 
to  the  heart  to  find  that  he  thereby 
lost  much  delicious  fat." 

The  horned  toad  which  inhabits  the 
hills  about  Salt  Lake  City  and  sur- 
rounding country  belongs  to  the  same 
family  as  the  iguana,  both  having  the 


family  name  Iguanidae  in  common. 
The  giant  lizard  of  the  tropics,  how- 
ever, is  some  500  times  larger  than 
the  horned  toad,  its  Rocky  Mountain 
cousin. 

The  iguana  lays  eggs.  These  it 
deposits  in  the  hollows  of  the  trees  in 
which  it  lives.  The  eggs  are  of  oblong 
shape  about  one  and  one-half  inches 
in  length  and  are  said  to  be  very  pleas- 
ant eating,  especially  when  taken  raw 
and  mixed  with  farina.  The  albumen 
makes  up  only  a  small  part  of  the  egg 
substance,  most  of  it  being  yolk. 
When  cooked  the  eggs  do  not  harden, 
but  become  only  a  little  thicker  in  con- 
sistency. 

Natives  claim  that  if  one  approaches 
the  iguana  too  rapidly  as  it  is  clinging 
to  the  high  limb  of  a  tree  and  frightens 
the  creature,  it  will  gulp  down  large 
amounts  of  air  until  its  body  swells 
up  like  a  rubber  ball.  Then  upon 
releasing  its  hold  on  the  limb  the 
animal  falls  to  the  ground  with  a 
bounce,  whereupon  it  belches  up  the 
air  and  scampers  away  from  its  enemy 
faster  than  most  dogs  can  run. 


The  Mocking  Bird 


Now,  in  the  early  dawn  I  see 
The  little  gray-coat  mocking-bird. 
'Tis  he  awakens  wood  and  lea, 
Famed  songster,  wheresoever  heard. 
Lo!  ecstacy  shows  in  his  form 
That  sways  and  rises,  swings  and  falls, 
As  ardently  his  love-song  calls, 
Endearing,  thrilling,  glowing  warm. 
She  comes,  she  comes  for  whom  he  sings! 
Now  throbs  his  breast  'neath  happy  wings. 
And  still  more  rapturous  the  note 
Intones  from  his  enamored  throat. 

I  listen  to  the  wonderful! 
Hark!  how  the  thrilling  notes  abound! 
How  throbs  and  pulses  all  the  air 
With  melody,  that  swells  in  sound; 
And  bird-notes  from  full  many  a  song 

Maywood.  Calif. 


In  all  the  woodland  aisles  around! 
Hast  thou  a  teacher  in  the  bowers 
Of  jasmine  bloom,  or  cypress  shade, 
Or  'mid  magnolia's  fragrant  flowers, 
Or  rhododendron's  brilliant  glade. 
That  gave  to  thee  thy  subtle  art 
In  tender  wooing  of  the  heart? 

Again  that  song! 

It  floats  along 

Merrily,   merrily,  merrily: 

The  dove's  low  cooing. 

The  robin's  wooing, 
The  notes  of  killdeer,  thrush  and  wren 
Is  o'er  the  hill  and  in  the  glen, 
Mingled  with  calls  that  ever  quiver 
And  float  along  o'er  shore  and  river — 

Merrily,   merrily  ever  giving 

Joyful  tones  of  love  and  living! 
Joseph  Longking  Townsend 


Adventure  with  a  Rattlesnake 


By  Elmer  A.  Graff 


Rattlesnakes  are  not  hard  to  cap- 
ture if  a  safe  method  coupled  with 
common  sense  is  used,  so  say  the  Cou- 
gar and  Coyote  patrol  of  Rockville, 
Utah,  Zion  National  Park  Council 
B.  S.  A.  But  wait 
a  minute;  let  their 
scoutmaster  tell 
how  they  came  to 
capture  the  largest 
d  i  a  m  o  n  d-back 
which  had  ever 
been  seen  'in  that 
locality: 

"We  were  going 
on  our  weekly  hike 
u  p  Shonesburg 
canyon,  two  or 
three  miles  south- 
east of  Zion  Na- 
tional Park,  to  ex- 
plore the  cliff 
dwellings  thought 
to  belong  to  the 
ancient  Moqui  In- 
dians. As  none  of 
us  had  ever  been 
there  before,  we 
decided  to  tie  our 
horses  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain  and  search  for  the 
ancient  stronghold. 

"The  mountain  side  was  very  steep 
and  it  was  often  necessary  to  use  our 
hands  to  assist  in  climbing  over  the 
rocks.  Scout  Jennings,  of  the  Cougar 
patrol,  was  a  few  feet  in  front  of  me. 
when  suddenly  he  gave  a  piercing 
shriek  and  stood  there  too  frightened 
to  move  away.  I  rushed  to  his  side, 
and  to  my  surprise  a  huge  rattlesnake 
lay  coiled  up  about  eighteen  inches 
from  the  ashen  white  face  of  Jennings. 
Upon  my  approach  the  diamond-back 
emitted  a  short  rattle,  then  drew  back 
his  flat  beaded  head  to  make  his  deadly 


_» 

j 

' 

. 

«       "           ^* 

-.'" 

P"3^fe    ;Kȣ-C>-/  y^^-^'' 

s?/.&|B 

^•1*     m^M 

~"j~*>3fjgj§ 

fp^^-rM^* 

■V 

^h.  . 

&-S'i.  i^^fA  >%£&&. 

Mr.  Rattlesnake 


plunge.  With  a  quick  jerk  I  pulled 
Jennings  out  of  the  way,  and  none  too 
soon,  for  the  fatal  fangs  of  the  monster 
barely  missed  their  mark.  He  wailed 
his  disappointment  by  making  his  rat- 
tles fairly  sing, 
while  we  moved  to 
a  large  rock  and 
listened  to  the  tune 
of  ten  protesting 
rattles. 

'Let's  capture 
the  old  fellow  and 
take  him  home 
alive,'  I  suggested. 
The  scouts  were 
all  in  favor  of  the 
idea  but  wondered 
who  would  'put 
the  bell  on  the  cat.' 
I  allayed  their  fears 
by  telling  all  but 
Demille  and  An- 
gell  to  remain  on 
the  rock. 

'  'Demille,  bring 
me  the  top  limb  of 
that  scrub  cedar, 
and  Jennings 
throw  me  your 
top  string,'  I  commanded. 

"Mr.  Rattlesnake  in  the  meantime 
slowly  uncoiled  his  four  and  a  half 
feet  of  detestable  anatomy  and  pro- 
ceeded to  crawl  under  a  small  rock. 
Shortly  after  he  had  gained  the  entrance 
of  a  hole  under  the  boulder,  I  had  a 
noose  made  in  one  end  of  the  string 
and  arranged  so  that  it  could  be  loos- 
ened and  tightened  at  will.  With  an 
old  dry  limb  I  pried  the  rock  a  few 
inches  from  its  original  position,  and 
immediately  the  deadly  warning  was 
given.  A  moment  later  his  head 
emerged  from  under  the  rock.  The 
noose  was  quickly  placed  over  his 
head,  the  string  tightened,  and  amidst 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  RATTLESNAKE 


225 


terrible  lashing  and  rattling,  Mr.  Rat- 
tlesnake was  carried  down  the  moun- 
tain side. 

"The  real  problem  which  now  con- 
fronted us  was  how  to  get  him  home, 
a  distance  of  ten  miles.  One  of  the 
boys,  however,  had  a  six-quart 
pail  which  contained  his  lunch,  so, 
after  emptying  it  of  its  contents,  we 
made  the  lid  secure  by  wiring  two  sides 
of  it  down.  On  the  third  side  the  wire 
was  threaded  through  the  hole  in  the 
lid  and  rim  of  the  bucket  and  left 
loose.  The  venomous  monster  was 
then  pushed  into  the  bucket,  head 
foremost,  while  a  forked  stick  was  used 
to  assist  in  placing  the  remainder  of 


his  body  inside.  The  string  was  then 
cut  and  the  lid  forced  down  and  wired. 

"The  horses  were  frantic  with  fear 
when  we  approached  them  with  the 
reptile,  who  continued  to  'voice'  his 
anger  by  vibrating  his  rattles  against 
the  sides  of  the  tin  bucket. 

"After  reaching  home,  we  turned  the 
old  fellow  out  from  the  bucket,  caught 
him  in  the  same  manner  as  before,  and 
extracted  his  poison  fangs  with  a  pair 
of  wire  pliers. 

"He  was  kept  in  captivity  for  more 
than  a  week,  but  refused  to  eat  live 
mice,  lizards  and  gophers  supplied  to 
him,  so  we  finally  took  his  life  and 
thus  ended  his  captivity." 


Enlisted  Soldiers  of  Our  Forests 

By  Wreno  Bowers 


In  nature  a  constant  battle  goes  on  for 
existence,  and  nothing  in  her  scheme  of 
things  has  a  harder  struggle  than  the  trees 
of  our  forests.  Over  500  kinds  of  forest 
trees  grow  naturally  within  the  United 
States.  Some  trees  are  provided  with 
greater  powers  of  resistance  than  others, 
but  they  all  have  their  natural  enemies. 
There  are  200,000  known  kinds  of  tree- 
attacking  insects,  and  these  pests  destroy 
tens  of  thousands  of  trees  every  year. 

In  this  relentless  warfare,  nature  enlists 
birds  to  save  her  trees.  More  than  sixty 
bird  families  have  their  part  to  play  in  the 
great  army  of  forest  protection.  There- 
fore, properly  to  guard  our  birds  is  a  phase 
of  forest  protection.  To  observers  of 
birds  and  forests  most  of  these  facts  are 
well  known:  but  so  ignorant  are  many 
people  that  these  feathered  friends  are  often 
shot  or  driven  away  while  shade  and  forest 
trees  may  be  perishing  through  lack  of 
their  skilled  services.  It  is  a  dangerous 
experiment,  indeed,  to  upset  nature's  bal- 
ance. 

To  the  larger  tree  savers,  the  wood- 
peckers, nature  has  committed  the  duty 
of  specializing  on  those  insects  that  injure 
the  tree   internally,   and   hence  special   in- 


struments are  required  for  their  removal. 
The  woodpecker's  bill  is  a  hammer,  pick- 
axe, and  auger  combined,  and  his  tongue 
a  long,  flexible,  extensible  spear.  With 
the  impressive  "tap,  tap,  tap,"  he  lo- 
cates a  decayed  spot  inhabited  by  boring 
larva  or  a  colony  of  ants.  Promptly  he 
breaks  open  the  infected  part  and  devours 
the  insect  pests.  So  helpful  are  his  serv- 
ices in  the  great  economy  of  the  earth  that 
out  of  the  nearly  800  birds  of  America 
the  woodpecker  is  considered  our  most 
useful  bird  citizen. 

Woodpeckers  have  the  actual  supervi- 
sion of  our  forest  trees.  Human  senses 
cannot  locate  the  tree  borers;  only  the 
long,  pick-axe  bill  of  the  woodpecker  can 
locate  the  vile  grub  and  remove  it  from 
its  hiding  place.  Alighting  against  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  the  little  soldier  edges 
about,  giving  the  tree  a  rattling  patter  of 
taps  with  his  bill.  Presently  a  sound  in- 
dicates to  his  acute  sense  that  he  has  found 
the  spot,  and  with  rained  blows  he  lays 
open  the  right  place.  Then  with  his  long, 
extensible,  and  barbed  tongue,  coiled  up 
on  the  hyoid  bone,  he  reaches  the  burrow 
and  drags  forth  the  beetle  larva  from  the 
bottom  of  its  crooked  gallery,   sometimes 


226 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


three  inches  from  the  bottom  of  the  picked 
hole.  A  useful  tool,  this  tongue  of  his — 
the  only  instrument  that  can  reach  and 
destroy  the  larva  of  long-horned  borer 
beetles. 

Nearly  every  locality  has  one  or  more 
representatives  from  the  twenty-four 
woodpecker  families.  They  are  as  widely 
distributed  as  forests  and  everywhere  they 
give  their  impartial  attention  to  trees. 
Their  food  consists  of  ants,  beetles,  borers, 
grasshoppers,  bugs,  timber  worm9,  and 
various  kinds  of  moths  and  flies,  which 
infest  forests  and  vegetation  in  all  parts 
of  the  country  to  our  very  serious  loss. 
Surely  they  deserve  the  gratitude  of  all 
American  citizens. 

One  of  the  best-known,  among  wood- 
peckers, is  the  flicker.  It  is  popular  in 
every  locality  where  it  is  found  and  is 
known  by  a  wide  variety  of  local  names. 
Golden-winged  woodpecker,  wake-up, 
yellowhammier,  and  many  other  names 
have  been  recorded.  The  red-shafted 
flicker,  the  largest  of  the  woodpeckers,  is 
the  Western  representative  of  the  Eastern 
flicker.  Whether  in  field  or  forest  these 
birds  are  found  engaged  in  the  occupa- 
tion of  destroying  insect  life.  More  than 
fifty  per  cent  of  the  flicker's  yearly  diet 
is  made  up  of  ants.  A  single  bird  will 
eat  thousands  of  these  insects  in  a  day  and 
any  creature  which  destroys  ants  is  a  de- 
cided boon  to  agriculture. 

Ants  are  small,  but  their  destructive 
power  is  enormous.  The  tremite,  or 
white  ant,  takes  heavy  annual  toll  in  lum- 
ber. They  eat  into  the  wood  of  floor- 
ings, walls  and  foundations;  honeycomb- 
ing the  wood  and  weakening  it.  Not  only 
are  ants  wood  borers,  but  they  care  for 
and  perpetuate  plant  lice  or  aphids,  which 
infest  vegetation  in  all  parts  of  the  country 


to  a  loss  of  millions  of  dollars  each  year! 

The  downy  and  hairy  woodpeckers  are 
other  quiet  little  soldiers.  These  birds 
range  over  the  greater  part  of  the  United 
States.  In  cultivated  districts  they  are 
of  great  service  and  value  to  the  fruit 
grower,  cleaning  the  trees  of  boring 
larva  and  the  unmanageable  scale  insects. 
Some  people  are  of  the  impression  that 
woodpeckers  injure  trees  by  digging  deep 
holes  for  nesting  purposes,  but  it  is  only 
in  dead  or  decaying  trunks  that  they  ex- 
cavate for  the  nest.  After  the  nesting 
season  the  holes  are  pecked  out  and  used 
for  winter  shelter.  Each  year  the  wood- 
pecker constructs  a  new  home  and  the 
abandoned  hole  is  left  to  the  chickadee, 
bluebird  and  other  birds  which  prefer  wood- 
en-walled homes  but  cannot  construct 
them.  In  North  America,  taken  as  a  whole, 
woodpeckers  are  very  numerous,  and  the 
millions  of  individual  birds  which  have 
yet  escaped  the  guns  of  ignorant  hunters 
constitute  a  mighty  army  of  protection  to 
our  forests. 

Some  of  the  smaller  tree  savers  include 
the  chickadees,  bushtits,  nuthatches,  and 
creepers.  These  species  are  small  in  size 
but  they  render  a  great  service  to  our 
forests.  We  find  them  busily  engaged 
among  the  trees  and  shrubs,  searching 
every  branch  and  twig  for  insect  eggs  and 
larva.  Specimens  of  the  chickadee  were 
found  to  have  eaten  as  many  as  900  eggs 
each  of  the  cankerworm.  That  many 
eggs,  if  allowed  to  hatch,  would  produce 
enough  cankerworms  to  destroy  a  tree  in 
a  single  season;  so  the  good  which  the 
chickadee  does  by  the  destruction  of 
cankerworms  alone  is  beyond  estimation. 
All  of  these  active  little  soldiers  deserve 
full  credit  for  the  good  they  do  in  saving 
forest  trees. 


If  thou  takest  vritue  for  the  rule  of  life,  and  valuest  thyself  upon  aeting  in 
all  things  conformably  thereto,  thou  wilt  have  no  cause  to  envy  lords  and 
princes;  for  blood  is  inherited,  but  virtue  is  common  property,  and  may  be 
acquired  by  all;  it  has,  moreover,  an  intrinsic  worth,  which  blood  has  not. — 
Cervantes:  Don  Quixote. 


The  Breakaway 

By  Harold  Thorpe 


Fall  had  come,  and  with  it  the  be- 
ginning of  the  year's  activities  for  the 
M.  I.  A.  Brother  Jones,  newly  ap- 
pointed president  of  the  association  in 

A ward,   was  gravely  concerned 

over  the  almost  hopeless  prospects  for 
an  M  Men's  class.  There  had  never 
been  one  in  A ward  before.  Mu- 
tual officers  of  preceding  years  had  tried 
zealously  to  win  these  young  men  over 
to  the  cause,  but  without  avail. 

"It's  no  use,"  they  had  all  said 
when  they  finally  gave  up  the  task  as 
hopeless,  "you  can't  get  the  young 
fellows  in  our  ward  into  Mutual. 
They're  all  good  boys  and  they  mean 
well;  but  they  won't  join  us,  and  that 
is  all  there  is  to  it."  Brother  Jones 
had  never  been  identified  with  the  M. 
I.  A.  before,  and  wondered  if  he  could 
succeed  where  all  the  others  had  failed. 

His  first  meeting  with  his  officers 
and  teachers  was  a  memorable  one. 
The  stake  superintendent  of  Mutuals 
was  there,  and  made  an  eloquent  plea. 
"Brother  Jones,  we  must  have  an  M 
Men's  class  in  your  ward.  It  is  the 
only  ward  in  the  stake  without  one. 
You  surely  have  enough  young  fellows 
here  to  form  an  organization.  You 
must  get  a  class  started!" 

Brother  Jones'  counselors  both 
shook  their  heads  doubtfully  as  the 
stake  superintendent  concluded.  "It's 
no  use,"  they  declared  positively, 
"we've  tried  everything  here,  and  we 
just  can't  do  anything  with  our  young 
men.  They  are  all  well  meaning  fel- 
lows, but  they  are  too  full  of  battle 
and  blood  and  high  life.  They  have 
their  own  amusements,  and  their  own 
notions,  and  they  are  as  stubborn  as 
nules.     They  won't  come  to  Mutual." 

But  this  did  not  satisfy  the  stake 
officer,  who  renewed  his  plea  for  an 
M  Men's  class.  "Brother  Jones,  we 
must  have  an  M  Men's  class  here.  We 
expect  you  to  build   up   this  depart- 


ment. Let  your  two  counselors  take 
care  of  the  rest  of  the  work  if  neces- 
sary. Make  this  part  of  your  work 
succeed  if  you  have  to  do  it  all  your- 
self. We  shall  depend  upon  you  to 
do  it." 

"I'll  do  my  best,"  was  the  ward 
president's  only  comment.  During  the 
next  few  days  he  visited  every  young 
man  in  the  ward  between  the  ages  of 
seventeen  and  twenty-one.  At  every 
home  he  urged  the  parents  to  co- 
operate with  him  in  getting  their  boys 
started.  But  rough  and  dry  and  stony 
seemed  the  ground  in  which  he  was 
trying  to  plant  the  good  seed. 

The  parents  were  more  than  willing 
to  cooperate,  but  how?  "No  one," 
confessed  one  father,  "can  convert  our 
grown  boys  to  Mutual  work.  An  M 
Men's  class  has  been  tried  here  so  many 
times  and  failed  that  our  boys  are 
soured  with  it.  They  are  now  so  set 
against  it  that  it  is  a  waste  of  time  even 
to  mention  it  to  them."  The  attitude 
of  the  boys  themselves  seemed  to  bear 
this  statement  out,  for  only  two  in  the 
whole  ward  would  promise  definitely 
to  join  the  M.  I.  A.  These  two  only 
half  promised,  and  then  only  because 
their  parents  insisted  upon  it; — for 
one  was  the  son  of  the  bishop  and  the 
other  was  the  son  of  the  president  of 
the  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 

In  spite  of  these  discouragements, 
Brother  Jones  was  hopeful  that  he 
might  finally  win  the  young  men  over. 
But  when  the  next  M.  I.  A.  meeting 
was  held  a  total  of  two  reported  for 
the  M  Men's  class — the  son  of  the 
bishop,  and  the  son  of  the  president 
of  the  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 

Brother  Jones'  heart  sank  as  he 
faced  them  in  the  opening  of  the  first 
class  period,  for  he  could  read  in  their 
eyes  and  in  the  expressions  on  their 
faces  the  deep  resentment  they  both 
felt  at  being  almost  compelled  by  their 


228 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


parents  to  come  to  meeting.  So  hostile 
and  disgruntled  did  they  seem  that 
Brother  Jones  hardly  knew  how  to 
begin  with  them. 

"Well,  boys,"  he  began  finally, 
"you  don't  seem  any  too  glad  to  be 
here." 

"We're  not,"  said  the  bishop's  son. 

"What  shall  we  do  about  it?"  con- 
tinued Brother  Jones,  who  now  felt 
that  he  was  facing  the  crucial  situation 
of  the  whole  problem. 

"Dismiss  this  class  and  forget  all 
about  it,"  said  the  Y.  L.  M.  I.  A. 
president's  son  bluntly. 

"You  two  boys  have  stomachs,  I 
take  it?"  asked  Brother  Jones. 

"Not  for  dry  sermons,"  replied  both 
boys  together. 

"How  about  oysters?"  asked  Broth- 
er Jones. 

"Are  you  trying  to  tell  us  a  fish 
story?"  asked  the  bishop's  son,  sus- 
piciously. 

"Wait  till  I  get  back  and  I'll  tell 
you  definitely,"  was  the  answer. 
Going  directly  to  the  Gleaner  Girls' 
class,  he  asked  permission  to  talk  to 
them  a  moment. 

Quickly  he  came  to  the  point.  "My 
dear  young  sisters,  everyone  says  the 
young  men  in  our  ward  are  perfect 
mules  when  it  comes  to  joining  us.  I 
think  they  are  the  finest  mules  in  the 
world,  and  I  want  them  to  belong  to 
our  organization.  Will  you  help  me 
get  them  in?" 

"Yes,"  chorused  the  girls,  laughing 
^heartily  at  the  reference  to  the  mules. 

"Boys  and  mules  are  just  alike  for 
one  thing,"  he  continued,  "the  way  to 
a  mule's  heart,  if  he  isn't  too  stubborn 
to  have  one,  is  through  his  stomach. 
The  way  to  a  boy's  heart  is  through 
his  stomach,  too.  Now,  then,  if  I  get 
the  young  men  organized  into  an  M 
Men's  class,  will  you  give  them  a  nice 
party  later  on,  and  cook  them  an 
oyster  supper?" 

"We  surely  will,"  the  girls  prom- 
ised. 

"I  have  it!"  exclaimed  one  mis- 
chievous  maid,    with   merrily   dancing 


eyes.  "Tell  all  the  young  men  in  our 
ward  I'll  give  them  each  a  slice  of 
bread  and  molasses  if  they  will  come 
to  Mutual.  Poor  fellows,  they  do  look 
hungry  at  times. 

"And  I'll  cook  them  some  hot 
dogs,"  giggled  another. 

"And  I'll  ask  mother  to  give  them 
each  a  drink  of  buttermilk  every  Tues- 
day, to  make  them  feel  religious,"  vol- 
unteered a  third  girl,  while  a  fourth 
young  lady  proposed  that,  as  a  special 
inducement  to  the  young  men,  each 
one  should  be  given  a  lollypop  every 
time  he  came  to  Mutual.  Soon  the  girls 
were  all  convulsed  with  laughter  as 
each  one  tried  to  outdo  the  rest  in 
proposing  some  ridiculous  scheme  for 
getting  the  young  men  into  the  or- 
ganization. 

Brother  Jones  was  so  enthusiastic 
over  the  attitude  of  the  Gleaner  Girls 
that  he  could  hardly  wait  for  the  mer- 
riment to  subside  so  he  could  continue. 

"We  will  now  be  brief  and  sober!" 
he  exclaimed  suddenly,  in  mock  anger. 
"I'll  be  brief,  and  you  be  sober!"  But 
they  didn't  become  sober  until  they 
had  indulged  in  another  outburst  of 
merriment. 

"Speaking  seriously  now,"  he  con- 
tinued, when  he  could  be  heard  again, 
"you  will  really  entertain  the  M  Men's 
class  at  an  oyster  supper  after  I  get 
them  organized?" 

"Yes,  we  will,"  they  answered  in 
one  voice. 

"Well,  brethren,"  said  he,  after  he 
had  returned  to  his  forlorn  hope  of 
two  rebellious  and  resentful  young 
men,  "I  am  now  ready  to  tell  you  a 
fish  story  about  bread  and  molasses 
and  buttermilk  and  stewed  oysters  and 
lollypops  and  things." 

"Stewed  oysters  and  lollypops?" 
cried  the  impatient  son  of  the  bishop. 
"What  next?" 

"The  Gleaner  Girls  will  entertain 
the  M  Men's  class  at  an  oyster  supper 
just  as  soon  as  you  are  organized,"  said 
the  Mutual  president. 

"Will  they?"  asked  the  bishop's 
boy,     incredulously,     "No     one    ever 


THE  BREAKAWAY 


223 


thought  of  doing  anything  like  that 
for  us  other  years." 

"Hurry  up  and  get  organized,  and 
your  oysters  will  soon  be  stewing," 
said  Brother  Jones. 

The  rest  of  the  period  was  devoted 
to  a  round-table  discussion  of  the 
year's  activities  for  the  M  Men's  class. 
The  two  young  men  were  all  eager- 
ness now  to  learn  every  detail,  and  to 
get  the  class  organized.  By  the  time 
the  class  period  was  over  they  were 
in  high  spirits,  and  both  promised  to 
bring  several  friends  to  the  next 
meeting. 

A  week  later  half  a  dozen  young 
men  were  present.  And  what  a  lively 
and  interesting  time  they  had  plan- 
ning the  organization  of  their  class  and 
election  of  officers  a  week  later!  It 
was  near  the  close  of  the  period  when 
one  of  the  new  members  suddenly 
asked.  "Brother  Jones,  when  do  we  eat 
those  oysters?" 

"How  many  young  men  does  it  take 
to  make  a  good  party?"  asked  Brother 
Jones. 

"About  twelve  or  fifteen." 

"Bring  out  twelve  or  fifteen  to  our 
next  meeting,  and  the  oysters  will  soon 
be  ready." 

Eleven  young  men  turned  out  at  the 
next  meeting,  and  they  went  about  the 
business  of  electing  officers  and  perfect- 
ing their  class  organization  with  a 
zest  that  thrilled  Brother  Jones  im- 
mensely. At  his  suggestion  the  newly 
elected  president  of  the  M  Men's  class 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  assign- 
ing topics  for  discussion  at  the  next 
class.  Brother  Jones  feared  that  the 
very  mention  of  topics  might  dampen 
their  ardor,  but  the  boys  could  smell 
their  oysters  now,  and  accepted  topics 
with  an  alacrity  and  enthusiasm  that 
went  to  his  heart. 

A  week  later  sixteen  handsome, 
bright-eyed,  oyster-hungry  young  men 
came  to  class.  By  skillful  maneuver- 
ing at  the  very  outset  of  the  discussion, 
Brother  Jones  brought  the  boys'  own 
life  experiences  into  play  in  their  dis- 
cussion of  the  topics.     And  what  an 

Sandy,  Utah 


enthusiastic  time  they  had  of  it  then! 
There  wasn't  sufficient  time  for  each 
member  to  say  all  that  he  was  just 
itching  to  say  about  his  own  expe- 
riences and  hopes  and  ambitions.  That 
timid,  bored,  oppressive,  miserable 
feeling  which  blights  so  many  religious 
classes  of  young  men  and  young  wom- 
en was  utterly  lacking.  Everyone  felt 
at  ease.  The  very  classroom  atmosphere 
was  so  strongly  one  of  congeniality 
and  good-will  that  it  seemed  to  invite 
the  young  men  to  come  again. 

Just  before  the  period  ended  the 
bishop  entered  quietly  and  sat  down, 
and  all  the  boys  grew  silent.  The 
bishop's  son  then  rose  and  began 
speaking.  "Brother  Jones,  we  have  a 
surprise  for  you.  We're  going  to  have 
that  oyster  supper  at  our  home  next 
Friday  night.  The  girls  are  too  slow. 
They  never  do  tumble  to  anything.  I 
never  saw  a  girl  yet  who  could  tumble 
to  anything  on  time.  We've  been 
hungry  for  oysters  for  weeks,  and 
there  are  none  in  sight  yet.  So  we  are 
going  to  cook  the  oysters  ourselves  and 
invite  the  Gleaner  Girls  to  be  our 
guests. 

"A  week  from  Friday  we're  going 
to  take  the  Gleaner  Girls  to  the  can- 
yon. Father  and  mother  are  going 
along  as  chaperones,  and  we  want  you 
and  Mrs.  Jones  to  come  along  with  us. 
We  young  fellows  know  we've  been 
mules  all  right,  but  we've  made  our 
breakaway  from  the  old  pastures  now, 
and  we're  going  to  eat  grass  and  sing 
'hee-haw'  in  the  newer  and  better  pas- 
tures from  this  time  on. 

"To  be  right  frank,  we  young  fel- 
lows have  had  so  satisfying  a  taste 
of  what  M  Men's  work  really  means 
that  we  are  heartily  ashamed  of  our- 
selves for  not  joining  before.  We're 
going  to  see  to  it  that  the  M  Men's 

class  in  A ward  isn't  an  empty 

cellar  any  longer. 

"When  we  found  out  how  inter- 
ested everyone  else  was  in  us,  and  how 
willing  they  all  were  to  help  us,  we 
couldn't  hold  back  any  longer.  We 
just  had  to  join  the  good  old  M.  I.  A." 


Weather  Forecasts 


By  Annie  D.  Palmer 


"Eleven  dollars  for  wiring,  five  for 
a  meter  and  seventy-five  cents  for 
globes — sixteen  dollars  and  seventy- 
five  cents."  Jacob  Nord  figured  it  over 
for  the  hundredth  time  this  month. 
Whenever  he  had  time  to  think  about 
it  he  fumbled  the  bit  of  yellow  paper 
on  which  it  was  written  and  tried  to 
think  of  some  way  to  stretch  his  small 
savings  or  reduce  the  amount  of  the 
bill. 

Early  in  the  spring  he  had  sold  the 
little  old  home  in  Meadowville  where 
Jane  and  Laren  were  born  and  reared, 
in  order  that  he  and  Nancy  might  live 
nearer  the  children.  They  bought  the 
three-room  frame  cottage  in  the  sub- 
urbs of  the  city  because  it  represented 
about  what  they  were  able  to  pay; 
and  of  course  they  intended,  as  fast  as 
they  were  able,  to  modernize  and  make 
it  comfortable.  After  all,  it  conformed 
to  the  standard  they  had  been  able  to 
maintain  previously,  and  that  was 
something.  They  had  not  moved  to 
the  city  with  any  intention  of  putting 
on  airs. 

But  Jane  and  Laren  had  electric 
lights  in  their  homes  as  did  also  nearly 
all  the  neighbors.  To  be  sure  they  had 
a  great  many  other  conveniences  to 
which  Jacob  Nord  and  his  wife  were 
not  accustomed  and  which  they  felt 
they  could  get  along  without.  But 
electric  lights  that  snapped  on  by  turn- 
ing a  button,  that  were  so  bright  one 
could  see  to  darn  stockings,  or  even 
file  the  wood  saw,  and  that  had  no 
smoky  chimneys  to  wash — that  was 
different.  Oh,  yes;  he  had  seen  electric 
lights  before,  plenty  of  them,  but  when 
one  lives  five  or  six  miles  from  every- 
body, and  from  almost  every  place,  one 
isn't  concerned  much  about  what  the 
neighbors  have  inside  their  homes.  Be- 
sides, Jacob's  neighbors  in  Meadow- 
ville had  been  as  poor  as  he,  so  there 


probably  weren't  any  wires  connecting 
them  with  the  center  of  modern  light. 
But  once  located  within  a  really  lighted 
zone,  the  thing  that  was  once  a  luxury 
became  a  necessity;  and  the  dingy 
lamps  they  had  enjoyed  so  long  be- 
came obnoxious  and  unendurable.  So 
ever  since  the  first  of  September,  when 
evenings  began  to  be  cool  enough  to 
entice  Jacob  Nord  indoors,  his  heart 
had  been  set  on  electric  lights  for 
Nancy's  Christmas  present. 

It  mattered  very  little  to  him  that 
the  lights  would  mean  quite  as  much 
to  him  as  to  Nancy.  It  had  been  his 
custom  to  give  her  household  gifts; 
such  as  a  table  cloth,  or  towels,  or  a 
tea  kettle,  and  she  reciprocated  in  giv- 
ing him  sofa  pillows  and  kitchen 
linoleum  and  dishes.  Only  once  that 
he  could  remember  did  he  receive 
really  personal  gifts.  That  was  when 
Jane  had  a  Christmas  tree  at  her  home. 
There  were  five  parcels  for  him  on  the 
tree — one  was  a  five-cent  package  of 
raisins  and  four  were  socks.  Four 
pair  of  new  socks  that  had  really  been 
bought  for  him.  Just  the  colors  he 
liked,  too!  How  odd  they  should  be  so 
much  like  the  ones  he  had  recently 
bought  at  a  sale!  It  was  all  ex- 
plained when  he  went  to  put  them  in 
the  drawer  with  the  others.  There 
were  no  others.  Well,  let  that  go.  He 
had  long  since  forgiven  Nancy  the 
joke,  but  ever  after  kept  his  belongings 
under  lock  and  key  at  Christmas  time. 

Sixteen  seventy-five.  Beginning  Sep- 
tember first,  he  must  save  at  least  four 
twenty-five  a  month,  one  dollar 
every  week,  seventeen  cents  every  day. 
Surely — and  then  another  idea  popped 
into  his  head.  A  bright-red  flower  for 
Nancy's  coat — what  a  splendid  Christ- 
mas. Beautifully  bright,  wonderfully 
light. 

In  September  he  made  good.   Several 


WEATHER  FORECASTS 


231 


rows  of  old  poplars  had  been  cut  down 
in  the  neighborhood  and  he  got  the 
job  of  sawing  them  into  lengths  for 
stoves  and  furnaces.  He  saved  five 
forty.  In  October  there  were  a  few 
jobs  of  apple  picking  and  he  got  an 
odd  shift  shoveling  coal.  He  added 
four  ninety  to  his  savings. 

Now  it  was  late  in  November,  and 
he  had  saved  nothing.  In  fact,  he  had 
for  several  days  been  short  of  food 
rather  than  take  a  quarter  from  his 
savings  to  buy  bread.  He  had  no  work 
on  those  days  and  so  he  told  Nancy 
he  did  not  feel  like  eating. 

"Seems  as  if  the  snow  holds  off  un- 
usually late  this  year,"  he  said  to 
Nancy  as  he  scanned  the  sky  on  a  crisp 
November  morning. 

"That'll  be  something  to  remember 
on  Thanksgiving  day,"  answered  his 
wife  thoughtfully.  "You,  with  such 
thin  soles  an'  no  rubbers,  sure  ought  to 
be  thankful  for  dry  ground." 

He  did  not  seem  to  hear.  Presently 
he  added,  "Thirty  cents  an  hour  for 
shoveling  snow,  and  a  job  as  soon  as 
it  needs  clearing  away.  But  it  looks 
as  though  it  might  hold  off  till  Christ- 
mas." 

"And  if  it  does,"  Nancy  replied, 
"the  long  afternoon  walks  will  do 
me  a  lot  of  good.  I  can't  go  out  much 
after  the  snow  comes." 

"Nancy,  I  don't  believe  the  walks 
do  you  any  good  at  all.  You  come 
home  so  tired  you're  all  nerves,  an* 
can't  even  enjoy  your  bed.  Why  don't 
you  let  me  go  with  you  if  walks  are 
so  good?" 

"I've  never  said  a  walk  was  good 
for  rheumatism,  have  I?  Nor  for 
asthma,  either." 

"I  suppose  walkin'  is  only  a  cure 
for  female  diseases,"  Jacob  murmured 
in  a  complaining  voice.  "And  yet," 
he  continued,  "there  was  a  time  when 
two  could  enjoy  a  walk  more  than 
one." 

"There  was  a  time  when  we  two 
enjoyed  a  lot  of  things,"  snapped 
Nancy,  irritably,  "but  that's  forty 
years  ago.      We  haven't  had  enough 


money    to    enjoy    anything    together 
since  you  paid  for  the  marriage  license." 

"We've  made  a  lot  of  mistakes. 
Nancy,  and  not  much  of  anything 
else.  Maybe  the  marriage  license  was 
the  biggest  mistake  of  all."  He  spoke 
bitterly,  and  with  rising  anger. 

"I'm  not  saying  which  was  the  big- 
gest mistake  nor  who  made  it;  but  I've 
had  nothing  but  drudgery  and  poverty 
all  my  life,  an'  I  never  expect  to  have 
things  better.  But  what  does  a  man 
care?  He  doesn't  sit  and  look  at  the 
dirty  walls  and  bare  floors  and  ragged 
curtains.  I'm  sick  of  it  all — the  pov- 
erty and  the  dirt  and  the  everlasting 
grind." 

"You  know  I  do  care,  Nancy.  You 
know — " 

"I  know  you've  never  in  your  life 
had  ambition  enough  to  get  your  nose 
off  the  grindstone.  You're  just  too 
much  like  your  old  dad,  and  I  ought 
to  have  known  it  before  I  married 
you." 

"And  maybe  I  ought  to  have  known 
a  few  things  before  I  married  you. 
Seems  like  there's  a  lot  to  learn  on 
both  sides  after  folks  get  married." 

Mr.  Nord  took  his  hat  and  saun- 
tered out,  looking  wistfully  at  the  sky 
again,  and  again  wishing  it  would 
snow. 

That  afternoon  Nancy  went  out  as 
usual  for  the  "long  walk"  which  she 
was  unwilling  to  share  with  her  hus- 
band. On  her  way  home  she  stopped 
again  at  the  men's  outfitting  store  and 
left  a  dollar  with  a  good-looking 
young  man  behind  the  counter. 

"How  much  do  I  still  owe  on  the 
leather  coat?"  she  asked,  although  she 
knew  exactly  how  much  she  owed. 
The  question  had  become  a  habit  in 
the  fourteen  weeks  since  she  made  a 
small  deposit  to  have  the  article  held 
for  Christmas. 

"Only  three  dollars  more,"  an- 
swered the  smiling  clerk,  "would  you 
like  to  take  it  home  with  you?" 

"Well,  hardly,"  she  replied,  "I'm 
not  in  the  habit  of  takin'  things  home 
that  don't  belong  to  me.     An'  besides 


232 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


I'll  get  to  look  at  that  ugly  thing 
enough  after  it  really  becomes  a  part 
of  the  family  make-up.  There  ain't 
any  word  that  I  ever  use  that  expresses 
my  dislike  for  leather  coats,  an'  cow- 
boy hats.  But  it's  what  my  husband's 
wanted  ever  since  I've  known  him,  so 
I'm  goin'  to  give  it  to  him  for  Christ- 
mas— that  is  if  the  weather's  favor- 
able." 

"The  leather  coat  is  particularly 
good  for  stormy  days,"  suggested  the 
clerk. 

"Yes,  I  know,"  was  the  decisive 
answer,  "but  payin'  for  it  ain't.  You 
see,  I  tend  babies  for  Mrs.  Howe  so 
she  can  go  out  selling  silk  stockings, 
an'  she  gives  me  twenty-five  cents  for 
an  afternoon.  If  it  storms  she  stays 
home — that's  the  arrangement  with 
Mr.  Howe — an'  so  do  I.  Two  weeks 
more  of  good  weather  and  I'll  have 
the  coat  paid  off." 

"It  will  be  nearly  Christmas,  too — " 

"Within  ten  days.  Say,  you  couldn't 
afford  to  put  a  pair  of  them  silky  look- 
in'  sox  in  the  coat  pocket,  could  you? 
I  don't  suppose  I'll  be  here  a  lot  more 
Christmas  days,  an'  I  want  to  make 
Jacob  as  happy  as  I  can  for  this  once." 

"Oh,  we  might  stand  a  pair  of  socks, 
I'll  think  about  it." 

"You  see,"  Nancy  went  on,  en- 
couraged by  the  kind  manner  of  the 
young  man  she  was  dealing  with, 
"Jacob  has  really  been  mighty  good 
to  me  all  these  years  since  I  took  him 
for  better  or  worse.  He  ain't  made 
a  lot  of  money — never  did  seem  to  get 
on  much  in  a  business  way;  but  when 
it  comes  to  honesty  and  square  dealin' 
— well,  he's  just  been  clean  an'  square 
through  an'  through.  I  could  always 
depend  on  his  doin'  the  right  thing,  an' 
I'm  mighty  proud  of  that.  There 
ain't  a  livin'  soul  on  top  of  the  earth 
can  say  Jacob  Nord  ever  cheated  him 
out  of  a  penny  or  took  a  thing  that 
wasn't  his.  I  don't  tell  him  about 
these  things  as  often  as  I  might — -we 
just  sort  o'  take  each  other  as  a  matter 
of  course,  an'  that's  why  I  want  to 
give    him    the    coat.      For    the    same 


reason,  I  guess,  as  Jacob  gave  his  son 
the  coat  of  many  colors.  You  under- 
stand, don't  you?" 

And  that  was  the  reason  the  weather 
forecasts  were  watched  so  eagerly  by 
Jacob  Nord,  who  secretly  prayed  for 
snow;  and  by  his  wife,  who  as  earn- 
estly wished  for  sunshine. 

Ten  days  before  Christmas  the 
snow-fall  set  in  so  heavily  that  Mr. 
Nord  felt  sure  his  work  would  last 
for  at  least  a  week,  but  his  coal  was 
low  in  the  bin,  and  Nancy  had  an- 
nounced the  need  of  a  bag  of  flour.  So, 
even  at  the  best  he  could  possibly  do, 
he  now  feared  it  would  be  impossible 
to  get  the  lights  in  for  Christmas.  Six- 
teen seventy-five  is  a  lot  of  money 
when  coal  is  low  and  flour  gone  and 
only  fourteen  dollars  to  the  good.  A 
few  more  days  went  by,  during  which 
Jacob  Nord  shoveled  snow  furiously. 
Then  neighbor  Sullivan  put  a  new  idea 
into  his  head. 

"Come  with  me,  Jake,"  said  Sulli- 
van, "let's  go  up  and  report  at  the 
Salvation  Army  for  a  Christmas  bas- 
ket. We  had  one  last  year — sure  fine 
— big  roast,  sweet  spuds,  celery,  cran- 
berries, and  everything." 

"How  much?"  asked  Mr.  Nord, 
who  had  not  learned  the  ways  of 
charity  baskets. 

"Free,"  Sullivan  replied.  "You  must 
give  your  name  and  tell  them  you're 
down  and  out,  an'  that's  all  there  is 
to  it." 

"But  I'm  not  down  and  out,"  said 
Nord,  "not  that  way.  So  far  as  I 
know  they  hain't  never  been  a  Nord 
name  on  a  charity  list  yet;  and  the 
Lord  knows  I  ain't  goin'  to  put  it 
there.     Why,  man,  I'd  starve  first." 

"You  can  put  some  other  name  fer 
that  matter — wife's  maiden,  or  your 
dead  uncle — they'll  ask  about  your 
children,  maybe — ." 

Mr.  Nord's  fists  doubled  up  spas- 
modically and  his  teeth  bit  together 
hard.  It  was  but  for  an  instant,  then 
he  broke  into  a  loud  laugh  and  said 
jokingly: 

"I   was   about   to   say    'get   behind 


WEATHER  FORECASTS 


233 


me,  Satan;  but  of  course  you  couldn't 
know  just  how  I'd  feel  to  see  Nancy 
cookin'  a  charity  roast." 

"It  cooks  like  any  other  so  far  as 
I  can  tell  and  is  as  good  eatin' — . 
Sullivan  got  no  further. 
"  'Nuff  said,"  Jake  answered,  grab- 
bing the  neighbor  by  the  shoulders  and 
turning  him  around  roughly  toward 
his  own  home,  "when  I  married  Nancy 
I  promised  to  support  her.  I  ain't 
made  much  of  a  show  at  it,  but  we've 
never  eaten  the  bread  of  charity  yet; 
an'  I'll  starve  before  I'll  take  a  basket 
of  things  I  can't  pay  for.  To  think 
of  Nancy  sweatin'  over  a  charity 
roast!" 

Sullivan  continued  on  down  the 
path  while  Jacob  went  on,  perhaps  to 
himself:  "Maybe  one  of  the  children 
could  make  me  a  small  loan.  Laren's 
wife  would  object  to  his  doing  it — 
but  Jane  might.  Sixteen  seventy-five; 
let's  see.  I  only  lack  about  two  dol- 
lars— three  if  I'm  to  get  the  coat  flower. 
I'll  see  Jane  anyway." 

His  job  was,  for  the  present,  ended. 
The  snow  was  piled  high  along  the 
sides  of  the  pavement  and  the  weather 
was  clear  and  cold. 

That  afternoon  he  visited  Jane.  She 
had  a  toothache.  The  kitchen  fire  was 
out,  and  she  explained  that  they  could 
not  afford  to  keep  up  two  fires.  Baby 
Ellen's  apron  was  torn  from  the  neck 
to  the  bottom  hem:  and  little  Jakey, 
his  namesake,  was  coaxing  for  a  shiny- 
red  coaster  for  Christmas.  Jane, 
sweeping  the  floor  with  a  vengeance, 
paused  to  set  him  down  rather  vigor- 
ously with  the  remark  that  unless 
something  happened  at  their  house, 
chances  were,  there  wouldn't  be  any 
Christmas  at  all. 

After  a  very  brief  stay,  during  which 
he  said  almost  nothing.  Jane's  father 
took  up  his  hat  to  leave. 

"I  hope  you  and  mother  will  have 
a  merry  Christmas,"  said  Jane.  "I'd 
have  you  spend  the  day  with  us,  only 
the  youngsters  make  mother  so  ner- 
vous. Sam  has  to  work  till  noon,  any- 
way; and  then  I  guess  we'll  go  to  a 


show.  Sam  said  he'd  have  to  stop  in 
and  get  the  tickets  today.  It's  that 
wonderful  play  of  the  Christ  life — I 
can't  remember  the  title;  but  every- 
body's wild  about  it." 

As  he  walked  slowly  away,  Jacob 
Nord  took  a  backward  look  to  the 
time,  forty  years  ago,  when  Jane  first 
saw  the  light  of  day.  The  home  was 
a  two-room  log — if  the  small  lean-to 
at  the  rear  might  be  called  a  room. 
The  lean-to  held  Nancy's  bed,  a  tiny 
table  and  one  chair.  He  remembered 
the  bed  with  a  rope  bottom,  a  tick 
filled  with  fresh  straw,  and  a  "love- 
knot"  quilt.  He  could  see  again  the 
pictures  on  the  wall,  one  a  Madonna 
and  child,  and  the  other  a  bunch  of 
bright  roses.  He  had  got  them  both 
as  a  premium  with  "Happy  Hour 
Magazine."  and  they  were  tacked  up 
without  frames.  He  remembered  the 
hours  of  Nancy's  travail — the  deep 
concern  of  the  women  who  attended 
her,  and  the  agony  of  his  heart  as  he 
realized  how  helpless  he  was  in  the 
time  of  suffering.  And  then  he 
thought  of  the  time  when  Jane  and 
Laren  both  had  whooping  cough — 
how  Nancy  watched  them  the  long 
hours  of  days  and  weeks  with  no  rest 
and  little  food.  And  so  he  followed 
on  down  through  the  years,  living  it 
all  over  again — dreaming,  dreaming. 

And  now  Nancy  was  sixty-four. 
Her  eyes  were  not  so  good  as  they 
once  were,  she  could  hardly  thread  her 
needle,  by  lamp-light — and  the  lights 
would  cost  sixteen  seventy-five.  Im- 
possible. He  must  forget  the  lights 
for  the  present  and  try  in  some  other 
way  to  make  a  happy  Christmas  for 
his  wife.  Yes,  he  would  be  ever  so 
careful  with  his  money.  The  electric 
lights  must  not  altogether  be  forgotten. 
They  would  still  need  the  lights  after 
Christmas. 

Two  hours  passed  and  in  the  earlv 
dusk  he  reached  home.  He  had  tickets 
for  the  matinee — for  once  they  would 
enjoy  a  show  together — the  red  coaster 
for  little  Jakey,  and  a  beautiful  doll 
for  baby  Ellen.      He  had   gone  to  a 


234 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


store  where  bright,  artificial  flowers 
were  sold  and  had  selected  a  wonderful 
red  rose  for  Nancy  to  wear  on  her  coat; 
and  the  nice  little  girl  who  sold  it  had 
induced  him  to  add  a  pair  of  hose  that 
were  as  shiny  as  real  silk,  and  cost  only 
half  as  much. 

"I  just  know  she'll  like  these.  They 
look  as  nice  as  real  silk  and  wear  better. 
I  buy  them  for  myself  and  wear  them 
to  the  dances  and  everywhere,"  said 
the  little  red-cheeked  flapper  ever  so 
sweetly. 

"Seems  like  they're  not  very  warm. 
Don't  you  have  woolen  stockings?" 
Jacob  asked. 

"Nobody  wears  wool,"  the  girl  an- 
swered. "You'd  be  surprised  how 
warm  these  are.  Besides— does  your 
wife  go  out  much?" 

"Well,  no;  not  a  great  deal,"  he 
began. 

"These  are  plenty  warm  enough  in 
the  house,"  was  the  argument.  "What 
size,  please?" 

"She  used  to  wear  a  number  three 
shoe — -yes,  that's  right,  number  three. 
I  remember  the  first  pair  I  bought  for 
her.  She  ordered  two's  and  a  half  and 
I  figured  I  wasn't  gettin'  the  worth 
of  my  money,  so  I  got  three's;  an' 
when  I  took  them  back  to  the  store  the 
two's  and  a  half  was  gone;  so  she  kept 
the  three's  an'  said  they  fit  better  than 
the  others  would.  Paid  two  and  a 
quarter  for  them — two  and  a  quarter 
worth  of  grain.  Wife  was  sure  proud 
of  that  pair,  an'  I  reckon  they  lasted 
a  whole  year.  Nancy  could  take  what 
you  spend  for  clothes  in  one  month  an' 
clothe  her  whole  family  for  a  year. 
She  sure  does  know  how  to  make  the 
dollars  go  a  long  way." 

"I  guess  she'll  wear  about  nine's 
don't  you?"  the  girl  hastened  to  ask. 
And  while  she  was  wrapping  the  rayon 
hose  and  the  bright  flower,  Jacob  Nord 
admitted  to  himself  that  the  little  girls 
of  today  are  right  smart  and  pretty. 

"Yes,  smart  and  pretty  is  right.  But 
when  it  comes  to  bein'  really  a — a- — 
well  a  woman  and  a  helpmate,  Nancy's 
worth  a  dozen  of  'em  any  day." 


One  of  his  purchases  he  did  not 
bring  home.  He  had  stopped  to  look 
at  a  window  of  a  second-hand  store. 
A  poorly  dressed  woman  coming  out 
was  saying  to  the  man  inside:  "It 
would  keep  the  old  man  so  warm  and 
nice  through  the  cold  nights  and  he 
would  not  cry  with  the  pain.  But  I 
cannot  buy  it.     I  must  buy  bread." 

"Is  it  a  stove,  lady?"  asked  Nord. 

"Oh,  no.  An  electric  pad  to  warm 
the  bed  when  the  fire  is  out.  My  father 
is  very  old  and  has  bad  sciatic  pains. 
This  would  keep  him  warm  all  night." 

There  were  further  explanations 
about  her  getting  electric  power  free 
because  of  some  relationship  of  her 
dead  husband  to  the  power  company; 
and  before  he  left  Mr.  Nord  had  given 
the  second-hand  dealer  a  dollar  for  the 
electric  pad. 

There  was  a  degree  of  happiness 
along  with  the  disappointment  as  he 
plodded  toward  home.  The  grand- 
children would  be  delighted,  and  as  for 
that  poor  old  man — perhaps  he  was 
"one  of  the  least"  of  whom  Christ  had 
spoken — how  the  pad  would  comfort 
him.  And  there  was  the  beautiful 
flower  and  the  tickets  and  the  stock- 
ings for  Nancy.  But  the  lights,  if 
only  he  could  have  put  them  in.  Well, 
he  still  had  seven  dollars  to  tuck  away 
as  another  start  toward  getting  them. 

He  came  home  at  noon  the  next  day, 
sick  and  discouraged,  after  making  the 
usual  round  in  quest  of  work.  The 
postman  met  him  outside  and  handed 
him  a  letter.     It  read: 

"You  have  been  recommended  to 
us  by  your  wife.  We  want  an  honest, 
clean  man  to  look  after  the  furnace 
and  take  care  of  the  house  plants  while 
we  spend  a  month  or  six  weeks  in  Cal- 
ifornia. You  will  have  the  keys  to  our 
home,  but  will  not  need  to  stay  at 
night.  If  you  are  interested,  please  see 
us  at  once." 

Mr.  Nord  lost  no  time  in  making 
his  way  to  the  place,  with  the  result 
that  he  was  hired  and  given  two- 
weeks'  pay  in  advance,  bacause  of  the 


WEATHER  FORECASTS                                    235 

nearness  of  Christmas.     The  mystery  home,    and    Jacob    was    happy.      He 

of  it  was  explained   to  Nancy   when  knew  exactly  where  the  switch  button 

she  went  to  the  clothing  store  for  the  would  be;  and  while  Nancy  fumbled 

leather  coat.     It  was  the  employer  of  in    the   usual   place    for   a    match,    he 

her   young  clerk   who   had   hired   her  turned  on  the  electric  light, 

husband.  The  appearance  of  the  beautiful  star 

They    went     to     the     matinee     on  of  Bethlehem  could  scarcely  have  sur- 

Christmas  afternoon,  Jacob  in  his  new  prised    the   shepherds    more   than    did 

leather  coat  and  Nancy  with  the  ridic-  this  illumination  in  her  home  surprise 

ulous  red  rose  pinned  on  her  shabby  Nancy  Nord.    She  stood  for  a  moment 

brown  fur.     Jacob  figeted  a  good  deal  with  folded  hands,  spellbound.    Then 

and  felt  that  the  play  was  really  longer  she    threw   her   arms   about  her   hus- 

than  necessary.     Nancy  on  the  other  band's  neck  and  exclaimed: 

hand  enjoyed  every  minute  of  it; — the  "Dear  Jacob,  it  has  been  a  beautiful 

religious   spirit,    the   brilliant   oriental  day!      The    snow    and    the    sunshine 

costumes,   the  people,   and  the  lights,  helped  to  make  it  so.     Isn't  the  Lord 

To  her  it  was  a  beautiful  day,  though  good?" 

she  felt  very  conspicuous  on  account  "You  are  happy,  Nancy?     I — ." 

of  the  red  rose.     She  was  wearing  it  "I  am  very  happy!      The  light  is 

for  Jacob.  wonderful!      It   helps   me   to   see   the 

It    was    dark    when    they    reached  rose!" 


Loved  Companions 

The  flow'rs  of  summer  fade  and  die, 
And  leave  the  earth  so  bleak  and  drear; 
All  nature  seems  to  heave  a  sigh, 
Each  faded  leaf  to  shed  a  tear. 

For  they  are  gone,  sweet  scented  flow'rs, 
Their  leaves  have  fallen  to  decay, 
And  all  through  winter's  dreary  hours 
Beneath  the  frost  and  snow  shall  lay. 

In  deepest  silence  they  will  sleep, 
While  we  who  live  can  only  wait, 
And  sigh  for  them  and  even  weep 
Just  for  the  sadness  of  their  fate. 

Our  loved  companions,  too,  are  gone; 
They,  too,  are  sleeping  'neath  the  snow; 
They  left  us  sadly,  one  by  one; 
With   tender  hands  we   laid   them  low. 

But  flow'rs  shall  bloom  again  in  spring 
And  deck  the  earth  with  beauties  rare; 
All  living  creatures  join  and  sing. 
While  earth  is  robed  in  garb  most  fair. 

And  loved  ones,  too,  shall  rise  again 
And  live  and  love  forever  more; 
Life,  life  eternal  shall  attain, 
Their  Savior  and  their  King  adore. 

Logan,  Utah  SAMUEL  B.  MlTTON 


Messages  from  the  Missions 

The  German-Austrian  Mission 

By  President  Hyrum  W.  Valentine 


"Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  This 
we  interpret  as  the  injunction  to  every 
elder  who  accepts  a  call  to  engage  in 
missionary  work,  and  with  all  our 
might  we  are  anxious  that  this  shall 
be  done  in  our 
field.  Another  in- 
junction is,  "But 
be  ye  doers  of  the 
word,  and  not 
hearers  only,  de- 
ceiving your  own 
selves."  This  is 
the  word  of  the 
Master  to  all  who 
have  accepted  him, 
and  is  especially 
applicable  to  the 
membership  of  the 
mission.  We  thus 
feel  that  we  have  a 
two-fold  activity 
to  direct,  that  of 
the  missionaries 
and  that  of  the 
membership. 

Sunday,  August 
2  3,  19  2  5,  at 
Chemnitz,  Ger- 
many, an  opera- 
tion was  perform- 
ed upon  the  Swiss- 
German  mission, 
under  the  direction 
of  President  James 
E.  Talmage  of  the 

European  mission,  which  resulted  in 
the  creation  of  the  German-Austrian 
mission,  with  headquarters  at  Koen- 
igsbrueckerstrasse  62,  Dresden.  Others 
present  were  Sister  Talmage,  Pres- 
idents Hugh  J.  Cannon  of  the 
Swiss-German  mission,  Fred  Tadje  of 
the    new    German-Austrian    mission, 


President  Hyrum  W.  Valentine 


and  Charles  H.  Hyde  of  the  Nether- 
lands mission,  together  with  their 
wives,  about  one  hundred  elders,  and 
more  than  one  thousand  friends  and 
members.  Each  of  the  two  German 
missions  had  eight  districts  and  ap- 
proximately one 
hundred  elders, 
with  a  member- 
ship of  5,305  for 
the  Swiss-German 
field  and  6,125  for 
the  German-Aus- 
trian mission. 

Although  this 
was  the  birthday 
of  the  new  mis- 
sion, it  was  not 
the  beginning  of 
the  work  in  this 
field.  The  first 
baptism  performed 
in  the  territory 
now  comprising 
the  German-Aus- 
trian mission  was 
performed  by  Eld- 
er Franklin  D. 
Richards,  one  of 
the  Twelve  Apos- 
tles of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints, 
and  the  person 
baptized  was  none 
other  than  our 
own  beloved  Dr. 
Karl  Godfried  Maeser.  This  initial 
act  was  performed  in  the  Elbe  River 
at  Dresden,  about  a  mile  below  the 
Augustus  bridge,  on  the  night  of  Oc- 
tober 14,  1855.  A  marvelous  mani- 
festation of  the  gift  of  tongues  was 
enjoyed  by  President  Richards  and 
Brother  Maeser  on  that  night  as  they 


MESSAGES  FROM  THE  MISSIONS 


237 


walked  and  conversed  upon  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Gospel  while  returning 
to  the  city  from  that  remarkable  bap- 
tism. With  such  a  beginning  it  is  in- 
deed difficult  to  estimate  what  the  des- 
tiny of  the  German-Austrian  mission 
shall  be. 

In  honor  of  this  great  man,  a  suit- 
able memorial  tablet  is  inscribed  and 
placed  in  the  front  wall  of  that  humble 
house,  Zachailaerstrasse  10,  Meissen, 
where  he  first  beheld  the  light  of  day. 
Under  the  direction  of  Dr.  James  E. 
Talmage,  president  of  the  European 
mission,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  great 
throng  that  had  assembled  to  do  honor 
to  their  townsman,  and  view  with 
curiosity  a  rather  unique  service,  it  was 
unveiled  on  November  19,   1926. 

On  January  1.  1927,  the  first  num- 
ber of  Dec  Wegioeiser.  a  joint  pub- 
lication of  the  two  German  missions, 
appeared  as  a  successor  to  Unsere  Sonn- 
tagsschule,  which  had  been  appear- 
ing quarterly  for  some  time  before  as 
the  organ  of  the  Sunday  Schools.  The 
Wegioeiser  carries,  in  a  most  excellent 
manner,  material  and  suggestions  for 
all  organizations  of  the  German-speak- 
ing missions,  and  is  a  marked  step  for- 
ward in  establishing  standards  of  effi- 
ciency, and  bringing  about  unity  of 
action.  The  natural  outgrowth  of  this 
movement  was  the  appointment  of  a 
general  superintendent  of  the  auxiliary 
organizations,  with  assisting  commit- 
tees, for  the  supervision  of  this  work 
and  the  preparation  of  outlines.  This 
honor  fell  upon  Martin  Elmer  Chris- 
tensen,  who  was  made  the  first  general 
superintendent  of  Sunday  Schools  and 
Mutuals  in  the  mission,  on  February 
15.  Although  at  the  time  he  was 
ill  and  his  body  racked  with  rheu- 
matic pain,  he  immediately  received  the 
inspiration  of  the  Lord  in  connection 
with  this  calling,  and  entered  upon 
the  work  as  though  he  were  in  the 
best  of  health.  It  was  not  long  until 
he  was  actually  in  that  physical  con- 
dition of  health,  and  was  filled  with 
spiritual  enthusiasm. 


The  task  of  modernizing  the  or- 
ganizations went  rapidly  forward  and 
soon  we  had  Bee-Hive  Girls,  Boy 
Scouts,  and  M  Men  in  all  our  Mutuals, 
and  activity  provided  for  all,  which 
resulted  in  enthusiasm  on  every  side. 
Not  alone  the  Mutuals,  but  every  or- 
ganization which  was  in  the  mission 
or  that  should  be  within  the  mission 
was  stimulated,  until  our  workers  be- 
came bees  and  our  organizations  ver- 
itable bee  hives. 

This  work  was  carried  over  into  our 
districts,  so  that  the  conferences  were 
transformed  into  district  conference- 
conventions,  with  departments  for  all 
organizations,  and  as  far  as  possible, 
a  sub-section  for  the  various  classes. 
During  1927,  there  were  twenty-eight 
such  conference-conventions  held,  and 
the  workers  were  clamoring  for  others. 

During  the  early  part  of  1927  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord  whispered:  "Two 
elders  shall  labor  together,  no  more, 
no  less.  Where  the  work  has  grown 
beyond  the  capacity  of  two  men  the 
remedy  is  to  divide  the  work  rather 
than  increase  the  number  of  elders." 
One  elder  alone  is  lonely,  and  more 
than  two  as  companions  is  wasteful  of 
energy.  Another  whispering  came, 
"Local  people  for  branch  work  and  the 
missionaries  for  preaching  the  Gospel 
to  those  who  have  not  heard  it  or  have 
failed  to  heed  it." 

The  basis  of  missionary  work  is 
tracting,  and  the  panacea  for  the  ills 
of  the  missionary  is  more  tracting.  All 
district  presidents  reach  out  for  the 
man  who  leads  in  tracting,  even  though 
they  themselves  may  not  be  able  to  do 
much.  The  Lord  is  the  most  just  of 
all  paymasters  and  the  only  unre- 
stricted activity  which  we  have  is  tract- 
ing. To  increase  our  pay  we  need  but 
to  speed  up  the  work,  and  the  un- 
limited field  is  tracting.  All  other  ac- 
tivities must  be  arranged  for,  but  in 
this  field  we  are  free  to  go  and  continue 
at  our  pleasure.  During  the  month 
of  August,  1927,  all  elders  were  en- 
gaged in   country  work,   tracting  and 


238 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


visiting  and  traveling  from  door  to 
door  and  from  village  to  village,  as 
was  the  practice  in  the  days  of  the 
Master  himself,  and  in  the  early  rise 
of  the  present  latter-day  work.  They 
depend  upon  the  Lord  and  his  chil- 
dren for  refreshment  and  entertain- 
ment. Although  many  of  them  were 
penniless,  they  nevertheless  testify  that 
they  "felt  like  a  million  dollars," 
which  is  far  better  than  actually  to 
possess  a  million  dollars.     The  average 


increased    expenditure,    for    there    are 
many  who  expend  less. 

In  honor  of  the  100th  anniversary 
of  the  delivery  of  the  plates  by  the 
Angel  Moroni  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  a  Book  of  Mormon  campaign 
was  launched  for  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember. More  Books  of  Mormon  were 
sold  during  this  month  than  in  the 
whole  of  the  rest  of  the  year.  Elder 
Arthur  Gaeth  went  through  the  mis- 
sion with  a  lantern-slide  lecture  on  the 


The  Interior  of  the  Mission  Chapel  at  Dresden,  Germany 


tracting   per   man   for   the   month   of 
August  was  126  hours. 

The  "bell  weather"  tracter  for  the 
mission  for  the  year  1927  was  Ezra 
Tobler  of  St.  George,  with  a  total  of 
1,1 14.5  hours  for  the  year,  or  an  aver- 
age of  92.8  hours  per  month  through- 
out the  year.  The  mission  average  for 
the  year  was  56.6  hours  per  man,  and 
the  average  cost  per  missionary  was 
$30.26  per  month.  If  your  son  is 
spending  more  than  this  amount  you 
may  well  investigate  the  cause  for  such 


antiquities  of  America,  and  was  able  to 
hold  38  such  lectures  at  which  there 
were  8,884  persons  present.  Parker 
Thomas,  of  Lowell,  Wyoming,  led 
the  missionaries  in  the  sale  of  Books 
of  Mormon  for  the  month  with  93. 
Fritz  Lehnig  excelled  all  members  in 
the  disposal  of  said  books  for  the  same 
period  with  37,  and  Sister  Ellen  B. 
Valentine  sold  exactly  22  on  the  22nd 
of  September,  in  a  single  day's  ac- 
tivity, and  says  that  she  was  not  turned 
down   in   a   single  instance.      At   any 


MESSAGES  FROM  THE  MISSIONS 


239 


rate,  she  did  not  accept  "turn  downs." 
The  Maeser  100th  anniversary  and 
the  general  missionary  conference-con- 
vention held  at  Dresden-Meissen,  Jan- 
uary 14-20,  1928,  was  the  most  con- 
suming spiritual  outpouring  that  we 
have  ever  experienced  either  at  home  or 
abroad.  At  the  Maeser  services  in 
Meissen  a  throng  of  people  was  in  at- 
tendance and  the  rapt  attention  of  all 
was  simply  marvelous.  United  States 
Consul-General,  A.  T.  Haeberle,  Dres- 
den, delivered  an  eloquent  address,  in 
which  he  paid  glowing  tribute  to  Dr. 
Karl  G.  Maeser  and  his  associates.  The 
street  in  which  the  exercises  were  held 
was  closed  to  traffic  during  the  time  of 
the  exercises.  In  the  evening,  in  one 
of  the  most  attractive  halls  of  the  city, 
a  public  meeting  was  held  at  which 
410  people  were  present  and  were 
furnished  a  Pentecostal  feast.  As  a 
direct  result  of  this,  favorable  write- 
ups  appeared  in  the  important  daily 
papers  of  both  Dresden  and  Meissen, 
and  the  Associated  Press  heralded  the 
event  around  the  world.  Today  we 
are  holding  our  meetings  in  the  "Little 
Red  School"  in  which  Brother  Maeser 
was  a  teacher  75  years  ago,  and  just 
recently  we  organized  a  Sunday  School 
there. 

The  last  day  of  this  never-to-be- 
forgotten  occasion  was  a  fast  and  testi- 
mony meeting,  beginning  at  9:00  a. 
m.  and  continuing,  with  two  inter- 
missions of  10  minutes  each,  until 
6:30  p.  m.,  during  which  time  testi- 
monies were  given  by  1 32  missionaries. 
At  various  times  during  the  day  tears 
bedimmed  the  eyes  of  strong  men  and 
devoted  women,  while  others  arose  in 
groups  for  fear  of  losing  the  oppor- 
tunity to  testify  of  the  joy  of  their 
souls  and  the  goodness  of  God. 

On  February  20,  1928,  the  11th 
district  of  the  mission  was  organized 
in  Upper  Silesia,  where,  so  far  as  is 
known,  there  were  absolutely  no 
friends  or  members  of  the  Church  in 
the  entire  district.  It  was  named  the 
Hindenburg  district,  after  one  of  the 
major  cities  located  there,   and  Elder 


Louis  M.  Ballard  was  appointed  the 
first  district  president. 

April  20,  1928,  the  German-Aus- 
trian mission  became  a  recognized  en- 
tity in  the  German  Republic,  being 
registered  as  a  "Verein"  with  all  rights 
and  privileges  of  existence,  and  trans- 
acting business  in  its  own  name  as  a 
judicial  personality.  This  is  perhaps 
the  most  direct  official  recognition 
which  the  Church  has  thus  far  received 
in  this  land.  It  is,  however,  of  more 
than  passing  importance  to  recall  that 
through  the  energetic  action  of  United 
States  Consul-General  A.  T.  Haeberle, 
Dresden,  the  foreign  office  of  Saxony 
first  and  later  the  German  National 
Foreign  Office  took  action  favorable 
to  the  "Mormon"  missionaries,  with 
respect  to  restrictions  placed  on  their 
passports  by  the  German  Consul-Gen- 
eral at  Montreal,  Canada. 

The  Green  Gold  Freud-Echo  (echo 
of  joy)  was  the  crowning  event  of 
our  organization  work.  A  combined 
attendance  of  4000  participated  in  the 
functions  held  in  Berlin,  May  26,  27 
and  28,  which  consisted  of  contests, 
tryouts,  socials,  banquets,  presenta- 
tions, religious  services,  dramatics  and 
field  sports.  A  special  feature  of  this 
celebration  was  the  presentation  of  the 
flag  of  the  German  Republic  to  each  of 
our  29  troops  of  L.  D.  S.  Boy  Scouts, 
by  the  mission  president.  Two  of  the 
big  daily  newspapers  of  Berlin  gave  us 
most  favorable  write-ups  of  the  ac- 
tivities. Computing  the  space  given  us 
in  the  reading  columns  at  the  adver- 
tising rate,  the  space  was  worth  898 
marks,  or  a  little  more  than  $200. 
Better  than  all  this,  however,  is  the 
fact  that  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
Berlin's  numerous  population  of  four 
millions  were  made  acquainted  with 
our  message  through  their  own  medi- 
ums. Just  today  an  important  press 
article  was  asked  for  from  Budapest. 
The  press  seems  anxious  to  print  favor- 
able matter  for  us. 

The  present  status  of  the  German- 
Austrian  Mission  is: 


240 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Elders  from  Zion 121 

Full-time  local  Elders _- _       13 

Total  membership  of  the  mission  7,214 
Places  in  which  we  are  at  work-     107 

Sunday  Schools 61 

Enrollment   . 4,8 6 3 

Average  Attendance  4,052 

Total  officers  796 

Mutuals  in  the  Mission 42 

Enrollment   2,466 

Average  Attendance  2,123 

Officers  and  Teachers  496 

Bee-Hive  Swarms 58 

Enrolled   girls  446 


L.  D.  S.  Boy  Scouts 248 

Troops   29 

M  Men  About  40 

Relief  Societies  49 

Membership  1,682 

The  combined  strength  of  Priest- 
hood is  829 

We  have  two  immediate  and  press- 
ing needs — more  missionaries  to  push 
the  work  along,  and  the  use  of  the 
German  school  buildings  for  our  meet- 
ings, classes  and  organization  func- 
tions. 


The  Tongan  Mission 

By  President  J.  A.  Cahoon 


Tonga!  Won- 
derland! Won- 
derland from 
many  different 
points  of  view. 
It  is  beautiful  to 
behold,  having 
one  of  the  most 
charming  harbors 
in  all  the  world. 
Of  all  South  Sea 
island  climates 
Tonga's  ranks 
first.  One  is  ever 
loath  to  leave 
after  once  becom- 
ing acquainted 
with  the  place 
and  learning  to 
love   the  natives. 

There  are  three 
main  groups,  or 
divisions,  in  the 
Tongan  or 
Friendly  islands, 
i.  e.,  Tongatabu, 
Haapai,  and  Va- 
vau.  Each  of 
these  groups  is 
made  up  of  hun- 
dreds  of  small   islands. 


which  is  the  seat 
of  the  Tongan 
Government,  and 
also  mission 
headquarters,  is 
situated  on  the 
south,  with  Haa- 
pai 114  miles 
and  Vavau  171 
miles  to  the 
north.  Samoa  is 
506  miles  north 
and  east,  and  Fiji 
is  420  miles 
northwest.  and 
New  Zealand  is 
1,100  miles 
south  and  west 
of  Tongatabu. 

The  Tongan 
Islands  were  first 
opened  for  mis- 
sionary work  of 
the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints 
in  the  year  1893. 
It  was  then  just 
the  Tongan  dis- 
president  J.  a.  cahoon  frfo   of   the   Sa- 

Tongatabu,     moan  mission.     The  work  continued 


MESSAGES  FROM  THE  MISSIONS 


241 


for  a  few  years  and  then  was  aban- 
doned until  1907.  From  that  time 
until  the  present  the  work  has  con- 
tinued steadily  onward. 

On  April  3,  1916,  the  Tongan  was 
separated  from  the  Samoan  mission  and 
became  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Tongan  mission. 

The  history  of  the  work  in  this 
field  makes  a  beautiful  drama,  so  it 
seems,  which  has  been  enacted  through 
very  trying  circumstances,  and  which 
has  only  been  able  to  attain  its  present 
level  by  the  help  of  Almighty  God. 
As  in  other  missions,  so  in  this  one, 
the  pioneers  of  the  work  showed  that 
same  spirit  which  our  grandfathers  and 
grandmothers  showed  in  crossing  the 
plains  years  ago.  But  now  conditions 
are  much  improved  and  with  fewer 
hardships  than  in  previous  years.  The 
natives  are  no  longer  barbarians  but 
are  advancing  as  civilization  advances. 

Time  and  space  will  not  permit  an 
explanation  of  the  many  incidents  in 
the  Tongan  mission's  history  which 
are  of  importance,  i.  e.,  the  prophecy 
of  President  Willard  L.  Smith  of  his 
preaching  the  Gospel  in  the  king's 
palace  at  the  king's  request,  and  its  ful- 
fillment, or  of  the  persecution  and  an- 
tagonism shown  by  the  government 
officials  toward  the  elders. 

During  the  visit  of  Elder  David  O. 
McKay,  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve, 
in  1921,  he  spoke  concerning  the  an- 
tagonism of  the  government,  "No  gov- 
ernment and  no  man  can  raise  a  hand 
against  the  Church  of  Christ  without 
bringing  punishment  upon  itself.  And 
I  say  this  in  the  authority  of  my  apos- 
tleship."  This  has  surely  come  true 
in  Tonga's  case,  for  the  persecution 
and  antagonism  continued  until,  in 
1922,  a  law  was  passed  prohibiting 
the  entrance  into  Tonga  of  all  "Mor- 
mons." 

This  served  to  unite  the  native 
Saints  and  the  elders  from  Zion  under 
the  leadership  of  President  M.  Vernon 
Coombs  as  no  other  thing  could.  After 
two  years  of  strenuous  and  unceasing 


efforts,  with  much  fasting  and  prayer, 
the  public  mind  was  so  impressed  that, 
in  the  latter  part  of  1924,  the  law  was 
repealed.  Friends  and  investigators 
were  made  of  the  Europeans  residing 
here,  as  well  as  many  of  the  natives, 
some  of  them  of  noble  blood. 

Internal  troubles  have  arisen  in  the 
government  as  well  as  between  the 
different  denominations.  Even  the 
queen  changed  churches  and  tried  to 
force  the  natives  to  follow  her. 

To  this  day  the  troubles  and  diffi- 
culties have  not  been  settled  and  will 
not  be  until  the  leaders  have  fully  re- 
pented of  their  actions  against  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  although  there  has  been  a  com- 
plete change  of  feeling  toward  the 
Church  since  1922. 

Because  of  all  these  troubles  the 
natives  have  an  increased  desire  for 
something  real  and  tangible  in  a  re- 
ligious way  and  are  more  willing  to 
listen  to  the  Gospel  message  than  ever 
before.  The  time  is  ripe  for  the  sow- 
ing of  the  seeds  of  truth  throughout 
Tonga. 

The  year  1927  was  a  very  success- 
ful one  for  the  Tongan  mission  in 
many  respects.  Our  faithful  and  ener- 
getic little  group  or  family  of  mission- 
aries, united  with  the  native  Saints, 
have  done  much  to  proclaim  the  Gos- 
pel by  precept  as  well  as  by  example. 

Although  statistics  show  only  thir- 
teen converts  baptized  and  eight  chil- 
dren of  members  baptized,  twenty- 
eight  children  blessed  and  recorded  in 
the  Church  books,  etc.,  there  were 
many  people  who  heard  the  Gospel 
message  and  many  investigators  were 
found  throughout  all  the  islands. 
There  were  1,113  members  on  record 
at  the  beginning  of  the  present  year, 
95  of  whom  hold  the  Priesthood. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  First 
Presidency,  we  have  been  able  to  re- 
model, clean  and  renovate  completely 
the  mission  home,  build  a  new  dwell- 
ing house  on  the  mission's  75-acre 
plantation  at  Makeke,  where  our  mis- 


242 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


sion  school  is  located,  and  to  build  an 
elders'  home  in  the  Haapai  district  at 
Bagai,  Lifuka.  Thus  much  of  the  time 
of  our  elders  has  been  taken  up  in  man- 
ual labor  as  well  as  in  teaching  school 
and  preaching  the  Gospel. 

Tracting  and  proselyting  and  hold- 
ing meetings  among  the  natives  is  very 
interesting  work  and  is  much  enjoyed 
by  all  the  missionaries.  It  enables  the 
elders  to  be  with  them  and  learn  their 
native  habits  and  customs,  and  teach 


not  even  allowed  to  enter  their  homes 
again  after  having  been  baptized  into 
the  Church.  They  are  called  on  to 
endure  many  hardships  and  persecu- 
tions for  the  Gospel's  sake,  even  as 
Christ  said,  "And  ye  shall  be  hated  of 
all  men  for  my  name's  sake:  but  he 
that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  be 
saved."  Matt.  10:22.  But  great  is, 
and  greater  shall  be  their  reward  in 
heaven  if  they  stand  firm  and  true  to 
the  end. 


Mission  Home  and  Chapel,  Nukualofa.  Tonga 


them  the  simple  truths  of  the  Gospel 
step  by  step.  There  is  nothing  which 
the  natives  like  better,  or  which  makes 
the  elders  learn  to  love  them  more  than 
to  associate  with  them  in  preaching  the 
Gospel. 

It  is  a  testimony  to  the  missionaries 
to  see  the  wonderful  faith  which  many 
of  our  Saints  have  in  the  power  of  the 
holy  Priesthood  in  the  healing  of  the 
sick.  Seldom  does  a  person  join  the 
Church  without  becoming  an  outcast 
from  his  family.      In  fact,  many  are 


During  a  recent  conference  the  writer 
was  called  to  administer  to  an  old 
lady,  a  non- member,  who  was  sick 
with  influenza.  Before  doing  so  I  ques- 
tioned her  concerning  her  faith  in  the 
power  of  the  Priesthood  to  heal  her 
sickness.  She  answered:  "My  hus- 
band is  dead,  and  all  my  children  have 
joined  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  For  years  I  have 
tried  to  convince  my  children  of  their 
mistake  and  would  not  permit  them  to 
speak  to  me  concerning  their  religion. 


MESSAGES  FROM  THE  MISSIONS 


243 


But  in  listening  to  the  sermons  of  your 
missionaries  and  reading  and  studying 
your  tracts  and  literature  and  by  fast- 
ing and  prayer,  I  have  gained  a  testi- 
mony concerning  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel.  I  have  implicit  faith  in 
your  teachings  and  in  the  power  of  the 
Priesthood  in  healing  the  sick.  Please 
administer  to  me  so  that  I  will  be  well 
and  able  to  attend  the  baptismal  serv- 
ices tomorrow,  for  I  wish  to  be  bap- 
tized." And  she  was  in  perfect  health 
the  following  day  and  was  baptized. 

"Behold,  the  field  is  white  already 
to  harvest;  therefore,  whoso  desireth 
to  reap  let  him  thrust  in  his  sickle  with 
his  might,  and  reap  while  the  day 
lasts,  that  he  may  treasure  up  for  his 
soul  everlasting  salvation  in  the  king- 
dom of  God."  Doc.  and  Cov.,  Sec. 
11:3.  Especially  is  the  field  white 
already  to  harvest  in  the  Tongan  mis- 
sion, and  we  need  more  missionaries 
to  harvest  this  corner  of  the  vineyard. 

To  all  young  men  and  women  of 
the  Church,  I  wish  to  say  that  it 
matters  not  to  which  mission  you  are 
called  to  labor,  whether  North  Amer- 
ican, European,  or  Island  mission, 
there  is  no  one  on  earth  who  knows 
better  to  which  field  of  labor  you  are 


best  suited  than  our  beloved  leader, 
President  Heber  J.  Grant. 

It  should  never  be  a  question  of  how 
much  the  missionary  is  going  to  gain 
from  his  experience;  but,  rather,  how 
much  is  he  able  to  do  for  the  mission — 
how  best  can  he  serve  the  interests  of 
God  and  humanity. 

Upon  each  and  every  member  of 
the  Church  of  Christ  rests  the  responsi- 
bility of  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
"every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and 
people."  There  are  a  chosen  few  who 
are  endowed  with  the  power  and  au- 
thority from  on  high  to  travel  and 
preach  the  Gospel  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  the  world.  They 
should  prepare  themselves  by  an  in- 
tensive study  of  the  Gospel  principles. 
With  this  store  of  knowledge,  the  true 
and  humble  servant  will,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  instill  in  the  hearts 
of  his  listeners  the  message  of  Christ 
and  him  crucified. 

The  Tongan  mission  is  proud  of  the 
fruits  of  the  labors  of  the  faithful  sons 
of  Zion,  and  will  ever  welcome  more 
of  them  to  this  field  of  labor.  The 
prospects  are  bright  and  we  look  for 
even  greater  success  in  the  future. 


The  One 

Two  thousand  years  ago  there  was  One  here  on  this  earth  who  lived  the 
grandest  life  that  ever  has  been  lived  yet, — a  life  that  every  thinking  man,  with 
deeper  or  shallower  meaning,  has  agreed  to  call  divine.  I  read  little  respecting  his 
rights  or  his  claims  of  rights,  but  I  have  read  a  great  deal  respecting  his  duties. 
Every  act  he  did  he  called  a  duty.  I  read  very  little  in  that  life  respecting  his 
rights,  but  I  hear  a  vast  deal  respecting  his  wrongs, — wrongs  infinite,  wrongs 
borne  with  majestic,  God-like  silence.  His  reward?  His  reward  was  the  reward 
that  God  gives  to  all  his  true  and  noble  ones, — to  be  cast  out  in  his  day  and 
generation,  and  a  life-conferring  death  at  last.  These  were  his  rights. — Fredrick 
W.  Robertson:     Lecture  to  Working  Men. 


The  Returned  Missionary 


The  Foreign  Legion  of  the  Church 
sends  back  to  headquarters  one  thou- 
sand soldiers  annually.  This,  of  course, 
is  an  approximate  number.  They 
have  been  marching  in  the  ranks,  so  to 
speak,  facing  their  problems  under 
chosen  leadership  whose  sole  duty  it 
was  to  direct  them.  Suddenly  these 
soldiers,  commonly  known  as  mission- 
aries, find  themselves  at  home,  face  to 
face  with  difficulties  of  which  they 
have  never  dreamed  and  which  they 
must  meet  and  overcome  single-handed. 

One  stake  president  recently  ex- 
pressed it  thus:  "They  have  been  liv- 
ing in  the  clouds,  and  all  at  once  they 
are  dropped  to  the  cold,  hard  earth." 
Nearly  all  of  them  go  back  to  school 
or  marry  very  shortly  after  their  re- 
turn. Either  situation  demands  a  com- 
plete change  in  their  mode  of  life  from 
a  financial  point  of  view.  Their 
whole  thought  has  been  concentrated 
on  the  Gospel.  Nearly  all  their  read- 
ing has  been  along  that  line,  and  they 
have  talked  of  little  else.  They  have 
not  been  permitted  to  mingle  with 
young  people  of  opposite  sex  in  a  so- 
cial way,  as  was  their  habit  at  home. 
Many  of  them  have  developed  from 
boyhood  to  manhood  in  a  foreign 
country,  away  from  American  institu- 
tions. 

Therefore,  an  economic,  a  spiritual, 
a  social,  and,  one  might  say,  a  political 
adjustment  of  their  lives  must  be  made. 
They  must  find  employment  in  com- 
petition with  young  men  of  similar 
age  whose  thoughts  all  the  while  have 
been  on  the  business  of  making  money. 
After  a  life  of  intense  spiritual  activ- 
ity, a  life  of  prayer,  of  humility,  of 
preaching,  they  must  adapt  themselves 
to  comparative  religious  ease.  They 
must    learn    afresh    to    associate    with 


young  people  of  their  own  age,  which 
is,  perhaps,  the  least  difficult  of  the 
adjustments  which  are  necessary;  and 
those  who  have  been  abroad  must  re- 
new their  acquaintance  with  real 
American  life. 

Practically  one  hundred  per  cent  of 
these  missionaries  come  home  deter- 
mined to  do  right,  but  this  determina- 
tion when  met  by  the  insidious  influ- 
ences which  abound  everywhere,  not 
the  least  of  which  is  inactivity,  too 
often  melts  away.  These  men  and  the 
problems  which  confront  them  repre- 
sent a  condition  and  not  a  theory. 
They  are  passing  through  a  dangerous 
transition  period,  scarcely  less  critical 
than  the  youth  who  is  just  entering 
the  pubescent  stage.  In  neither  case  is 
the  young  man,  without  wise  counsel, 
fully  capable  of  analyzing  his  own 
feelings.  Even  from  those  whose  de- 
votion to  the  truth  is  unquestioned, 
one  often  hears  the  statement,  made 
with  an  earnestness  that  leaves  no 
doubt  of  its  sincerity:  "I  wish  I  were 
back  in  the  mission  field." 

Sacred  history  furnishes  abundant 
evidence  that,  from  the  very  beginning, 
it  was  necessary  for  a  people  to  be  con- 
stantly admonished,  or  it  deserted  the 
path  of  righteousness.  The  Lord  un- 
derstands this  tendency  in  his  children, 
as  do  also  his  chosen  servants;  hence 
the  perfect  organization  which,  when 
properly  directed,  cares  for  every  spir- 
itual and  temporal  need  of  Church 
members.  Local  officers  are  watchfully 
guarding  their  flocks,  and  the  general 
authorities  are  traveling  constantly, 
exhorting  the  Latter-day  Saints  to 
cling  fast  to  the  "iron  rod." 

One  of  the  fundamental  differences 
between  this  Church  and  other  re- 
ligious bodies  is  that  the  former,  where 


EDITORS'   TABLE 


245 


it  functions  as  the  Lord  intends,  gives 
specific  attention  to  the  individual 
member,  while  the  latter  give  general 
attention  to  the  community.  The  re- 
turned missionary  needs  some  of  this 
solicitous  care. 

The  Era  has  no  excuse  to  offer  for  the 
man  who,  after  spending  two  or  three 
years  of  his  life  in  calling  others  to  re- 
pentance, himself  deserts  a  righteous 
course.  We  all  know  he  should  be 
eternally  wedded  to  righteousness, 
should  attend  his  quorum  and  other 
meetings,  should  take  part  in  the  class- 
es, and  by  his  activity  keep  alive  the 
spirit  which  brought  such  sublime  joy 
to  his  heart  while  he  was  away.  Very 
many  of  the  returned  missionaries  do 
this;  indeed,  practically  all  of  them 
except  one  here  and  there  who  was 
careless  before  he  left. 

However,  man's  nature  is  such  that 
he  seldom  does  his  very  best,  and  it  is 
a  regretable  fact  that  a  much  larger 
percentage  of  missionaries  become  de- 
linquent after  their  return  than  is  the 
case  while  they  were  absent  in  the  field. 
The  reasons  for  this  are  more  or  less 
obvious.  Some  of  them  have  already 
been  stated.  Added  to  his  other  dif- 
ficulties, the  missionary  frequently  finds 
himself  in  debt  and  very  often  without 
a  salary  adequate  for  his  needs,  and  in 
this  condition  is  almost  certain  to  ex- 
aggerate any  seeming  slight. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  and  we  be- 
lieve they  are  self-evident,  the  Era 
promised  in  its  prospectus  that  it  would 
print,  from  time  to  time,  articles  under 
the  caption.  "As  the  Returned  Mis- 
sionary Views  It."  One  of  these  articles 
has  already  appeared,  and  we  expect 
that  others  will  follow.  This  feature 
was  inspired  solely  by  a  desire  to  lead 
our  readers  to  look  at  the  situation  for 
a  moment  through  the  eyes  of  some  of 
these  men  who  are  passing  through  this 
trying  period  of  adjustment.  The  ef- 
fort of  this  magazine  has  always  been 
to  make  good  men  better  and  careless 
men  good. 

Naturally  we  do  not  advocate  that 
a  quorum  or  an  organization  which  is 


operating  efficiently  should  be  disrupt- 
ed merely  to  give  a  position  to  some 
man  recently  returned  from  the  mis- 
sion field.  There  are  numerous  ways 
in  which  interest  in  this  class  may  be 
manifested,  and  these  will  suggest 
themselves  to  local  officers  and  Church 
members,  if  the  matter  is  called,  even 
indirectly,  to  their  attention. 

In  Australia  a  few  years  ago,  efforts 
were  made  through  the  government  to 
do  something  for  the  boys  who  had 
been  in  the  trenches  in  Belgium  and 
France.  The  people  did  not  respond  as 
it  was  thought  they  should,  and  one  of 
the  soldiers  remarked:  "It  took  us  four 
years  to  win  the  war,  but  in  four 
months  the  public  has  forgotten  what 
we  did."  It  would  be  an  unfortunate 
situation  if  any  returned  missionary 
had  real  cause  to  entertain  similar 
views. 

Recently  one  of  the  general  author- 
ities of  the  Church  suggested  to  a 
bishop  that  he  hear  oftener  from  a  cer- 
tain returned  missionary,  "a  good 
speaker."  who  had  been  home  ten 
years,  and  only  twice  during  that 
period  had  been  called  upon  to  address 
a  meeting  in  his  own  ward.  The  bish- 
op's reply  was:  "That  man  has  had 
more  than  his  share  of  opportunities. 
It  would  take  me  twenty  years  to  hear 
from  all  the  Priesthood  in  my  ward." 

If  this  is  the  actual  condition,  and 
if  this  bishop  follows  the  advice,  given 
for  many  years,  to  call  local  men  to 
speak  instead  of  constantly  inviting 
speakers  from  the  outside,  it  would 
seem  that  there  should  be  about  four 
wards  in  that  particular  district  instead 
of  one.  It  is  not  necessary  in  order 
to  show  consideration  for  a  man  to 
give  him  an  entire  evening.  As  evi- 
dence of  this,  attention  is  called  to  the 
general  conferences  where  so  many 
short  talks  are  made.  Presiding  officers 
who  follow  a  similar  plan  of  proced- 
ure will  be  surprised  at  the  number 
that  can  be  heard  in  the  course  of  a 
year. 

We  hope  that  officers  and  members 
of    the   Church    will    make   an    effort 


246 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


to  get  the  viewpoint  of  the  returned 
missionary.  And  of  course  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  these  young  men,  who  have 
cheerfully  given  so  much  of  their  time 
and  means  to  the  cause,  will  cultivate 
and  retain  the  spirit  which  bore  testi- 
mony to  the  divinity  of  this  work  to 


their  souls  while  they  were  abroad. 
We  have  faith  in  the  devotion  of  the 
returned  missionary,  and  careful  sur- 
veys made  in  some  of  the  stakes  indi- 
cate that  this  faith  is  justified.  Salva- 
tion, after  all,  is  their  own  individual 
responsibility. — C. 


Books 


Three  new  books  have  recently 
come  to  the  editorial  desk  of  the  Era: 

Redemption,  an  Epic  of  the  Divine 
Tragedy,  by  Octave  F.  Ursenbach,  is 
an  interesting  poem,  treating  an  exalted 
theme.  This  writer  is  well  known  to 
the  Era  readers,  and  in  this  little  vol- 
ume he  has  probably  done  his  best 
work,  thus  far. 

My  Father's  Farm  is  a  well  writ- 


ten book  of  pastoral  and  other  poems, 
as  the  title  indicates,  by  Robert  Sparks 
Walker,  also  a  well  known  contributor 
to  our  columns. 

Flashes  from  the  Eternal  Sema- 
phore by  President  Leo  J.  Muir  of  the 
Los  Angeles  stake,  is  an  inspiring  vol- 
ume, the  reading  of  which  will  stimu- 
late every  person  to  live  up  to  his 
highest  possibilities. 


Leadership  Week  at  the  B.  Y.  U. 

"Education  for  the  enrichment  of  rural  life"  is  the  theme  around  which 
all  the  activities  of  the  annual  Leadership  Week,  to  be  held  at  Brigham  Young 
University,  January  21  to  26,  will  revolve.  This  theme  was  chosen  partly 
because  the  Utah  State  Farm  Bureau  convention  will  be  held  during  part  of 
the  week  in  connection  with  the  other  exercises  and  classes,  and  partly  because 
it  is  a  subject  which  may  well  be  stressed  in  the  inter-mountain  region  where 
rural  life  is  almost  the  only  life  there  is. 

Committees  are  busy  upon  plans  for  the  week.  They  hope  to  work  out 
a  program  of  study  and  entertainment  which  will  meet  the  needs  of  all  adults 
and  especially  those  engaged  in  Church  and  civic  work  of  any  kind.  The 
auxiliary  organizations  of  the  Church  were  kept  in  mind  while  the  program 
was  being  worked  out,  and  their  officers  and  teachers  will  find  much  help 
during  the  convention. 

As  in  times  past,  the  week's  activities  will  be  entirely  free,  both  the  in- 
struction and  the  entertainment. 


The  world  is  blessed  most  by  men  who  do  things,  and  not  by  those  who 
merely  talk  about  them. — James  Oliver. 


All  matters  pertaining  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  in  this  department  are  prepared  under  the 
direction  of  the  Presiding  Bishopric. 


Qualities  of  Leadership 


As  the  close  of  the  year  approaches 
the  reports  received  at  the  Presiding 
Bishop's  Office  from  the  stakes  and 
wards  make  a  very  interesting  study, 
showing  the  results  of  proper  leader- 
ship and  the  failures  where  the  spirit 
of  enthusiasm  is  lacking. 

Our  attention  has  been  called  to  the 
message  prepared  by  Major  General 
Charles  P.  Summerall,  Chief  of  Staff. 
United  States  Army.  We  think  this 
message  might  apply  as  well  to  those 
leaders  who  are  laboring  for  the  salva- 
tion of  men  as  to  those  who  are 
called  to  establish  peace  and  maintain 
order  in  this  great  nation.  The  fol- 
lowing question  is  from  this  article: 

"Leadership  may  be  denned  as  that  in- 
tangible quality  in  a  commander  which 
inspires  men  to  follow  him  through  hard- 
ship and  danger  with  confidence  and  as- 
surance. It  is  a  quality  needed  in  every 
commander  from  the  senior  general  down, 
including  the  squad  leader;  for  its  lack 
invariably  results  in  unnecessary  loss  of 
priceless  lives,  if  not  in  disaster.  In  ad- 
dition to  tactical  and  technical  ability,  the 
true  leader  possesses  the  power  of  con- 
trolling and  directing  his  men  so  as  to 
create  a  teamwork  which  will  bring  max- 
imum results. 

"Impulses  must  come  from  the  top. 
The  real  leader  initiates  impulses  for  his 
subordinates  and  adds  force  to  those  im- 
pulses which  come  from  above.  Having 
a  succession  of  such  leaders,  as  it  goes  down 
through  the  chain  of  command,  an  order 
gathers  power,  each  subordinate  leader  adds 
his  impetus,  so  that  when  the  order  reaches 
the  point  of  execution  it  carries  irresistible 
forcefulness. 

"Men  must  have  trust  in  their  leader 
in  order  cheerfully  to  follow  him,  they 
read  the  expression  in  his  face  and  are  un- 


consciously influenced  by  his  appearance, 
manner,  and  tone  of  voice.  Self-control  be 
comes,  therefore,  a  vital  attribute  of  a 
leader;  to  be  calm,  self-possessed,  and  self- 
confident,  even  in  the  face  of  danger  i; 
indispensable.  The  leader  must  not  only 
believe  that  he  is  right,  but  he  must  be  so 
sure  of  it  that  he  will  convince  everyone 
else,  by  everything  he  says  and  does,  that 
his  plans  and  purposes  are  right.  Thus  he 
will  make  men  sure  of  success  even  though 
the  plans  might  not  be  the  best  that  could 
have  been  adopted. 

"The  loyalty  of  a  commander  to  his  unit 
is  generally  reciprocated.  Loyalty  works 
downward,  it  begins  with  the  commander. 
The  leader  who  is  not  loyal  to  his  men 
will  get  little  or  no  loyalty  from  them. 
Loyalty  from  the  subordinate  to  the  senior 
is  not  a  voluntary  condition,  it  is  not  ca- 
pable of  being  turned  on  and  off  like  an 
electric  light.  Loyalty,  like  love,  is  an 
involuntary  reaction  which  manifests  itself 
only  in  response  to  proper  stimuli.  Loy- 
alty may  be  latent  or  undeveloped  but  it  is 
there  in  the  breasts  of  your  men,  capable 
of  being  aroused  by  proper  stimulating 
conditions. 

"The  soldier  has  a  normal  sense  of  jus- 
tice. When  recognition  of  a  praise-worthy 
act  is  withheld  he  experiences  discourage 
ment  and  depression.  His  richest  reward 
is  recognition  by  his  leaders.  This  may 
vary  from  a  single  word  of  approval  to  the 
highest  decoration  or  citation  in  accordance 
with  the  merits  of  the  case.  On  the  con- 
trary, censure  or  blame  rouses  the  equally 
elemental  quality  of  self-preservation.  The 
man  who  humiliates  his  subordinates  or 
who  abuses  his  authority  will  forfeit  their 
respect  and  arouse  their  antagonism  and 
even  their  hatred.  Men  want  and  admire 
firmness  and  positiveness,  but  command 
must  be  exercised  so  as  to  leave  no  per- 
sonal sting.      True  discipline  comes  from 


248 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


pride  and  not  from  fear.  Arbitrary  and 
harsh  measures  may  be  easier  to  adopt,  but 
they  will  multiply  troubles  out  of  all  pro- 
portion to  the  gain. 

"Men  are  pleased  by  having  their  su- 
periors know  their  names  and  something 
of  their  performances.  While  there  are  lim- 
itations to  such  a  knowledge  by  higher 
commanders,  in  the  lower  echelons  a  leader 
should  make  every  effort  to  know  his  sub- 
ordinates personally  and  make  them  real- 
ize his  individual  interest  in  them." 

We  trust  every  bishop  will  carefully 


read  the  foregoing  quotation  and  that 
they  will  apply  the  good  advice  given 
to  their  own  work  and  carry  this  mes- 
sage to  each  individual  upon  whom 
has  been  conferred  the  Priesthood,  en- 
deavoring to  have  him  become  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  the  spirit  of 
service  which  leads  to  success. 

The  Presiding  Bishopric, 
Sylvester  Q.  Cannon, 
David  A.  Smith, 
John  Wells. 


Aaronic  Priesthood  Outlines 


The  plan  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 
work  for  1929  will  conform,  in  gen- 
eral, to  that  which  has  been  carried  out 
during  this  past  year.  The  order  of 
business  in  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 
quorum  or  class  meetings,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Priesthood-M.  I.  A. 
meetings  each  week,  will  be  generally 
the  same  as  that  now  being  followed. 
It  is  expected  that  about  fifteen  minutes 
of  the  quorum  meeting  period  will  be 
devoted  to  the  consideration  of  activi- 
ties: the  checking  up  on  attendance  and 
the  promoting  of  attendance,  the  per- 
formance of  duty  assignments,  the 
consideration  of  the  social  and  fraternal 
activities  of  the  quorum,  etc.,  with  any 
instructions  that  may  be  desirable  by 
a  member  of  the  bishopric. 

The  remaining  portion  of  the  time, 
probably  twenty  to  thirty  minutes,  is 


to  be  used  in  the  discussion  of  the  top- 
ics affecting  the  training  and  welfare 
of  the  members  of  the  quorum.  For 
this  purpose,  and  in  order  that  the 
young  men  shall  be  properly  qualified 
in  the  duties  of  the  Priesthood,  outline 
lessons  are  being  prepared  for  the  year 
1929  for  each  of  the  three  grades  of 
the  Priesthood — priests,  teachers  and 
deacons.  It  is  anticipated  that  these 
lessons  will  be  available  in  book  form 
for  each  grade  of  the  Priesthood  on  or 
about  the  first  of  January.  It  is  de- 
sired that  there  should  be  a  copy  in  the 
hands  of  each  member.  They  can  be 
ordered  direct  from  the  Presiding  Bish- 
op's Office.  The  price  of  these  book- 
lets will  be  ten  cents  each  postpaid,  for 
each  grade  of  the  Priesthood.  Checks 
or  money  orders  should  be  sent  with 
the  orders  for  the  booklets  desired. 


"No  man  is  good  for  anything  who  has  not  learned  the  easy,  prompt, 
cheerful  submission  of  his  will  to  rightful  authority." — Washington  Gladden. 

"Success  is  sweet:  the  sweeter  if  long  delayed  and  attained  through  mani- 
fold struggles  and  defeats." — A.  Bronson  Alcott. 

"Resolve  not  to  be  poor:  whatever  you  have,  spend  less.  Poverty  is  a 
great  enemy  to  human  happiness;  it  certainly  destroys  liberty,  and  it  makes 
some  virtues  impracticable  and  others  extremely  difficult." — Johnson:  Boswell's 
Life  of  Johnson. 

"Repentance  must  be  something  more  than  mere  remorse  for  sins:  it  com- 
prehends a  change  of  nature  befitting  heaven." — Lew  Wallace. 


EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT 


Closing  Date  of  Play-Writing  Contest  Extended 


In  view  of  the  fact  that  Mutual  peo- 
ple have  been  so  busy  since  the  open- 
ing of  the  season's  work,  and  the  mul- 
titudinous duties  incident  to  Christmas 
time,  the  request  has  been  made  that  the 
closing  date  of  the  M.  I.  A.  Play-writ- 
ing Contest  be  extended  to  January 
31,  instead  of  December  31,  as  an- 
nounced in  the  Hand  Book.  After 
due  consideration,  this  request  has  been 
granted,  and  the  attention  of  those 
who  are  preparing  manuscripts  for  the 
contest,  and  also  of  others  who  might 
now  want  to  participate,  is  hereby 
called  to  this  new  arrangement.  M.  I. 
A.  officers  should  give  this  information 
to  persons  in  their  ward  who  are  likely 
to  be  interested.  Following  is  the  in- 
ducement offered: 

1st  prize    .         $50 

2nd  prize  $25 

The  offer  is  open  to  all.    No  limita- 


tion1 is  made  as  to  subject-matter,  but 
we  suggest  a  careful  consideration  ol 
the  numerous  dramatic  events  in  the 
history  of  the  Latter-day  Saint  people 
or  a  theme  dealing  with  the  ideals  of 
the  Church. 

The  prize-winning  plays  are  to 
become  the  property  of  the  General 
Boards.  All  other  manuscripts  will 
be  returned  or  arrangements  made  for 
their  purchase.  The  play  should  be 
unsigned  and  accompanied  by  a  sealed 
envelope  containing  the  name  and  ad- 
dress of  the  author  and  the  title  of 
the  play.  Address:  General  Superin- 
tendency  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.,  47  E.  South 
Temple,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

This  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the 
Improvement  Era  Story- writing  Con- 
test, the  closing  date  of  which  is  also 
January  31,  and  in  which  prizes  of 
the  same  amounts  are  offered. 


Remarkable  Record  in  Life  Memberships 


Ward  President  Wray  W.  Hegsted, 
of  the  Salem  ward,  Fremont  stake,  has 
made  an  exceptional  record  in  selling 
Life  Memberships  this  year.  In  this 
ward,  with  a  population  of  457, 
Brother    Hegsted    has    sold,    to    date, 


forty-six  Life  Memberships,  which 
makes  100%  record.  Congratulations 
to  Brother  Hegsted.  His  fine  ex- 
ample, we  hope,  will  prove  inspira- 
tional to  other  wards  of  the  Church. 


Program  for  Joint  Session 


Sunday  Evening.  Feb.  3,   1929 
February  is  the  Mat- 


Companionship 


Suggestions: 
ing  Month. 

General    Theme: 
and  Marriage. 

Suggested  Music: 

"Love  at  Home." 

"Let's  Be  Kind  to  One  Another." 

"Scatter  Seeds  of  Kindness." 

"Home,  Sweet  Home." 


Two  Addresses  on  Companionship: 
1 .   The    kind    of    companionship    de- 
sirable before  marriage. 

a.  Educational    school   mates,    col- 
lege comradeship. 

b.  Social,  or  community,  acquaint- 
ance. 

c.  Religious. 

d.  Courtship. 


250 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Some  happily  married  man — 10 
minutes. 
2.   The   kind    of    companionship    de- 
sirable after  marriage. 

a.  Confidence  companionship. 

b.  Council  companionship. 

c.  Sacrifice  companionship. 

d.  Kindness  companionship. 

e.  Parenthood  companionship. 

A     woman     who    knows — 10 
minutes. 
Two  addresses  on  Marriage: — 10  min- 
utes. 

1.  The    universal   sacredness   of   mar- 
riage. 

a.  Significance  of  wedding  festivi- 
ties. 

b.  Value  of  wedding  anniversaries. 

c.  Varieties  of  marriage  customs. 

2.  The    advantage    of    temple    mar- 
riages.— 10  minutes. 

a.  For  the  individual. 

b.  For  the  family. 

c.  For  the  state. 

d.  For  the  Church. 

Read  the  following  as  preliminary 
to  presenting  the  slogan: 

Bordering  a  large  forest  reserve  is  the 
ranch  of  Brother  X.  Part  of  the  ranch 
is  utilized  as  a  variety  farm.  During  the 
summer  months  the  deer  invaded  the  farm 


and  did  no  little  damage.  No  common 
fence  could  keep  them  out  of  the  field. 
The  owner  of  the  field  felt  that  he  would 
be  justified  in  shooting  some  of  the  deer, 
notwithstanding  they  belonged  to  the 
state,  and  it  would  be  unlawful  to  kill  them 
during  closed  season. 

After  weeks  of  irritation  and  delib- 
eration, the  man  decided  to  take  the  law 
into  his  own  hands  and  get  some  venison. 
Taking  his  gun  he  started  out  alone  to 
collect  in  his  own  way  what  he  thought 
was  due  to  him,  but  which  could  not  be 
collected  by  law.  He  reached  the  farm. 
The  deer  were  there,  but  he  didn't  col- 
lect. He  just  drove  the  animals  off  with 
as  much  scare  as  possible. 

Why  did  he  not  shoot  the  deer?  Be- 
cause he  could  not  do  it  without  shooting 
through  the  law.  And  here  was  another 
reason;  he  had  been  thinking  of  how  he 
could  answer  the  question  of  his  lads  at 
home  as  to  how  he  got  the  meat.  The 
responsibility  of  living  as  he  had  taught  his 
children  to  live — that  was  the  deciding  fac- 
tor that  placed  him  before  himself  as  one 
who  "stands  for  law,  for  the  people  who 
live  it,  and  for  the  officers  who  enforce  it." 

And  it  was  no  wonder  that  a  visitor 
to  whom  the  Bishop  made  the  confes- 
sion said: 

"He  is  a  better  man  than  the  ordinary." 


ADULT  DEPARTMENT 


Karl  G.  Maeser 

By  Reinhard  Maeser,  Published  by  the  Brigham  Young  University. 
Reviewed  by  Dr.  George  H.  Brimhall 


The  Introduction  by  Franklin  S. 
Harris,  President  of  the  University,  is 
a  brief  but  luminous  presentation  of 
what  the  illustrious  educator  was  to 
the  public  and  to  his  students. 

To  read  the  biography  in  the  light 
of  the  introduction  is  like  following 
the  course  of  a  river  through  a  valley, 


after  having  had  a  bird's  eye  view  of 
it  from  the  high  land. 

The  Contents: 

At  the  outset  the  reader  is  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  Karl  G.  Maeser, 
the  man,  as  seen  by  the  author,  his 
eldest  son.     The  first  page  of  the  vol- 


MUTUAL  WORK 


251 


ume  blazes  with  a  pen  picture  not  to 
be  forgotten.  With  undisguised  pride, 
the  biographer  introduces  the  high- 
grade  ancestry  and  then  leads  directly 
into  the  eventful  life  of  his  father. 

At  eleven  years  of  age  we  find  the 
boy  temporarily  blind  from  overstudy. 
At  twenty  we  see  him  graduating  from 
college,  and  thus  on  and  on  one  is  led 
to  the  high  points  of  historical  interest 
in  an  eventful  life  of  one  in  that  class 
of  whom  Longfellow  wrote  as  re- 
minders that  "we  can  make  our  lives 
sublime." 

A  considerable  part  of  the  material 
making  up  the  volume  is  direct  from 
the  personal  diary  of  Dr.  Maeser  and 
quotations  from  his  class  instruction 
and  public  speaking.  Each  chapter  is 
introduced  by  one  of  his  maxims;  such 
as,  "He  who  deceives  another  is  a  knave, 
but  he  who  deceives  himself  is  a  fool." 
"The  Lord  never  does  anything  arbi- 
trarily." "No  man  shall  be  more  ex- 
acting of  me  or  of  my  conduct  than  'I 
am  of  myself." 

The  first  twenty-two  chapters  carry 
faith,  philosophy,  and  facts,  with  here 
and  there  a  sprinkling  of  humor  re- 
flective of  the  geniality  of  a  soul,  at 
once  approachable,  yet  dignified;  ten- 
der, yet  adamant;  obedient,  yet  com- 
manding; humble,  yet  unyielding. 

Chapter  twenty-three  deals  with  his 
mission  and  educational  work  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  records  the  death  of  his 
wife,  a  lady  spoken  of  as  "a  woman 
without  guile,"  and  closes  with  this 
significant  statement: 

"As  Karl  G.  Maeser  was  the  first 
man,  so  was  his  wife,  Anna,  the  first 
woman  to  be  baptized  into  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
in  the  Kingdom  of  Saxony,  Ger- 
many." 

Chapter  twenty-four  contains  a 
brief  but  sparkling  account  of  the  cele- 
bration of  Dr.  Maeser's  fiftieth  anni- 
versary as  a  teacher,  and  records  a  poem 
by  Annie  Pike  descriptive  of  the  vener- 
able man  and  much-loved  teacher,  an 
address  by  Thomas  Rees  and  a  song 
rendered  by  a  group  of  children,  each 


exercise  glowing  with  love  and  vener- 
ation. 

In  chapter  twenty-five  are  three  mes- 
sages of  historical  importance:  1,  his 
desire  to  "die  in  the  harness;"  2,  the 
manner  of  his  passing,  and  3,  the  news- 
paper comments  on  his  departure. 

Chapter  twenty-six  is  devoted  to 
the  "funeral  services  held  in  Salt  Lake 
City  and  the  memorial  services  held 
in  Provo  and  gives  several  poems, 
among  which  is  the  song  still  being 
sung,  "The  Teacher's  Work  is  Done." 

Chapter  twenty-seven  is  dedicated 
to  "Expressions  of  Appreciation," 
most  of  which  is  taken  from  the 
Young  Woman's  Journal.  These  ex- 
pressions reveal  Dr.  Maeser  as  seen  by 
those  whose  lives  were  closely  knit  to 
his  by  educational  companionship. 

The  closing  chapter,  twenty-eight, 
holds  a  record  of  three  events:  First, 
the  movement  to  erect  a  Maeser  Mem- 
orial Building  at  Provo;  second,  the 
dedication  of  a  head-stone  over  the 
grave  at  Salt  Lake  City,  the  record  of 
which  event  gives  in  full  an  address  by 
President  Brimhall  and  a  description 
of  the  monument;  third,  a  statement 
of  the  cost  of  the  building  and  an 
address  in  full  by  the  author  of  the 
book,  closing  with  the  following  bene- 
diction: 

"God  bless  the  generous  donors  to 
this  monument;  God  bless  the  Latter- 
day  Saints;  God  bless  the  great  system 
of  education  in  which  my  father  was 
pioneer  factor;  God  bless  the  memory 
of  Karl  G.  Maeser." 

An  appendix  of  testimonials,  max- 
ims and  sayings,  completes  the  vol- 
ume. Among  the  testimonials  that 
of  United  States  Senator  Reed  Smoot 
is  the  most  extended  and  that  of  Pro- 
fessor John  C.  Swenson  is  the  briefest. 
He  says:  "Brother  Maeser  was  a  man 
of  noble  character  and  his  nobility  was 
contagious." 

The  book  is  a  loving  tribute  of  a 
loyal  son  to  a  noble  father,  it  is  a  long- 
wished-for  gift  to  the  students  of  the 
great  teacher;   it  is  a  faith-promoting 


252 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


contribution  to  Latter-day  Saint  liter- 
ature. 

Preceding  the  title  page  is  a  picture 
of  one  who  to  me  was  the  embodiment 
at  once  of  the  simple  faith  of  a  child 
and  the  many-sided  wisdom  of  a  sage. 

Three  quotations  from  the  book: 

1.  His  first  prayer:  "O  God,  if 
there  be  a  God,  make  thyself  manifest 
unto  me." 

2.  His  first  covenant: 

"On  coming  out  of  the  water,  I 
lifted  both  my  hands  to  heaven  and 
said,  'Father,  if  what  I  have  done  just 
now  is  pleasing  unto  thee,  give  me  a 
testimony,  and  whatever  thou  shouldst 
require  of  my  hands  I  shall  do,  even  to 
the  laying  down  of  my  life  for  this 
cause'." 

3.  His  first  special  spiritual  gift: 
"There  seemed  to  be  no  response  to 


my  fervent  appeal,  and  we  walked 
home  together,  President  Richards  and 
Elder  Budge  at  the  right  and  left  of 
me,  while  the  other  man  walked  some 
distance  behind  us  so  as  not  to  attract 
attention.  Our  conversation  was  on 
the  subject  of  the  authority  of  the 
Priesthood.  Suddenly  I  stopped  Elder 
Budge  from  interpreting  the  Presi- 
dent's remarks  to  me,  as  I  understood 
them  perfectly.  I  replied  to  him  in 
German,  and  again  the  interpretation 
was  not  necessary,  as  I  was  also  under- 
stood by  the  President.  Thus  we 
kept  on  conversing  until  we  arrived 
at  the  point  of  separation,  when  the 
manifestation  as  suddenly  ceased  as  it 
had  come.  It  did  not  appear  to  be 
strange  at  all,  while  it  lasted,  but  as 
soon  as  it  stopped,  I  asked  Brother 
Budge  what  that  all  meant,  and  re- 
ceived the  answer  that  God  had  given 
me  a  testimony." 


Ten  Outstanding  Magazine  Articles 

Selected  by  a  Committee  of  Librarians, 
November,    1928 


"The  So-Called  Lost  Battalion,"  Hen- 
ry   O.     Swindler,     in    American 
Mercury. 
A  praiseful  but  unvarnished  history 
of    one    of    America's   finest    military 
maneuvers,  now  a  legend:  How  Major 
Whittlesley's    men    attained    and   val- 
iantly held  an  objective  five  days,  al- 
though   cut   off   from    communication 
and  all  supplies. 

"The  Mucker  Pose,"  James  Truslow 
Adams,  in  Harper's  Magazine. 
An  indictment  of  those  gently  bred 
Americans  who  adopt  the  speech  and 
manners  of  longshoremen,  to  show 
they  are  "good  fellows."  Mr.  Adams 
scathingly  portrays  the  mucker-poseur 
and  tells  him  to  stop  imitating  his 
inferiors. 

"Democracy      Holds      its      Ground," 
Charles    A.    Beard,    in    Harper's 
Magazine. 
Is  it  true  that  democracy  is  on  its 


last  legs  in  Europe?  Dr.  Beard  pre- 
sents the  historian's  verdict:  Despite 
Mussolini  and  the  Soviets,  he  finds 
democracy  gaining  and  shows  why 
this  is  inevitable. 

"The  Canal  is  the  Answer,"  Cyrus 
Frend  Wicker,  in  Century. 
Why  are  we  so  vitally  interested  in 
Nicaragua?  What  ultimate  advantage 
is  to  be  gained?  A  diplomat  and 
scholar  who  has  had  first-hand  expe- 
rience answers  these  important  ques- 
tions. 

"Our  Revolt  Against  Ugliness,"  Har- 
lean  James,  in  Review  of  Reviews. 
America's  "tin-can  civilization"  is 
giving  way  to  beauty.  In  wide,  open 
spaces  there  are  more  parks  for  nation, 
state,  and  city:  in  the  crowded  sections, 
town  planners  bring  harmony  through 
intelligent  utilization  of  space  and 
building  art. 


MUTUAL  WORK 


253 


"Should  the  Criminal  Jury  be  Abol- 
ished;"'    Edgar    Allen     Poe    vs. 
Martin  Littleton,  in  Forum. 
Mr.  Poe,  attorney  general  for  Mary- 
land, a  state  that  has  tried  thousands 
of  criminal  cases  without  juries,  takes 
the  affirmative.     Mr.  Littleton,  an  at- 
torney of  wide  practice  and  chief  coun- 
sel for  Sinclair  when  he  was  acquitted, 
says  no. 

"Europe  Ten  Years  After,"  Dr.  Julius 
Klein,  in  Atlantic  Monthly. 
The  director  of  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Com- 
merce, outlines  the  important  change 
in  Europe's  economic  psychology  since 
the  Armistice,  ten  years  ago  this 
month,  ushered  in  a  new  chapter  of 
her  history. 

"The  Great  Galilean,"  Robert  Kemble, 
in  Atlantic  Monthly. 
In  the  first  part  of  a  book  on  Jesus, 
designed    as   an    interpretation   and    a 


protest:  An  interpretation  of  the 
little-known  figure  revealed  by  histor- 
ical criticism;  and  a  protest  against  the 
distorted  hypocrisy  which  has  been 
practiced  in  his  name. 

"Smith,     Hoover,     and     Prosperity," 
Forecasts  by  Nationally  Known 
Business  Men,  in  Forum. 
To  what  extent  have  political  par- 
ties created  prosperity  or  are  likely  to 
create    it    in    the    near    future.      This 
article  contains  forecasts  by  eight  prom- 
inent business  men  on  whether  or  not 
prosperity  will  continue. 

"Scarlet  Journalism,"  Silas  Bent,  in 
Scribner's  Magazine. 
The  ballyhoo  of  lechery,  started 
with  the  Beecher-Tilton  scandal, 
reaches  a  new  high  point  in  the  daily 
press,  while,  as  the  author  points  out, 
scientific  discussion  of  sex  is  taboo. 

(Copyright,  Harper   Brothers  Company.) 


M  Men-Gleaner  Notes 


Joint  Project:  We  Shall  Promote 
the  Cultural  and  Aesthetic  Value  of 
the  Dance. 

During  the  past  four  months  the  M 
Men  and  Gleaner  Girls  have  had  as 
their  subject  of  study  and  activity, 
"Etiquette;"  for  January,  "Dancing" 
(see  December  Era  and  Journal)  ;  for 
the  remaining  months  they  will  turn 
their  attention  to  "Fellowship  and  So- 
ciability." As  much  singing  and  other 
activities  as  possible  should  be  intro- 
duced into  this  period.  It  is  urged  that 
Gleaner  and  M  Men  leaders  take 
charge  of  this  work  themselves  rather 
than  class  leaders.  This  session,  on  the 
first  Tuesday,  may  be  made  one  of  the 
most  interesting  of  the  entire  month. 

Suggestions  for  songs:      Sociability 


and  fun  songs,  M.  I.  A.  Song  Folder. 
pages  36-86. 

Dramatizations.  It  is  suggested 
that  the  Gleaners  prepare  and  present 
the  play  "Friendship,"  in  this  issue  of 
the  Journal,  and  that  the  M  Men  pre- 
sent "Allison's  Lad"  or  "The  Traitor" 
(M.  I.  A.  Hand  Book,  page  431). 
Both  the  Gleaner  and  M  Men  play 
may  be  given  on  the  same  evening  or 
if  time  prevents  may  be  presented  on 
consecutive  evenings. 

Fellowship 

(For  February  5) 

We  are  social  beings  and  shall  con- 
tinue to  be  so  long  as  we  live  together 
in  organized  society.  When  all  is  said 
and  done  we  are  fellow-men  in  pursuit 


254 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


of  happiness.  Because  we  live  together 
we  must  be  considerate  of  each  other. 
Each  person  looks  out  for  himself  but 
as  he  does  so  he  must  be  conscious  of 
the  welfare  of  others.  There  must  be 
a  feeling  of  fellowship  among  people 
if  the  greatest  of  happiness  can  be  ob- 
tained. In  other  words,  most  can  be 
had  from  life  if  there  is  a  feeling  of 
social  sportsmanship. 

What  is  social  sportsmanship?  We 
say  that  a  football  player  who  deliber- 
ately kicks  an  opponent  in  the  face  is  a 
poor  sport.  Why?  Because  he  took 
unfair  advantage  of  another  to  gain  a 
personal  end.  We  say  that  a  member 
of  a  group  who  refuses  to  do  a  legiti- 
mate thing  that  the  group  wants  to  do 
is  a  poor  sport.  Why?  Because  he 
disregards  the  feelings  of  others  to  ac- 
complish his  own  desires.  A  good 
sport  then  is  one  who  plays  fair  with 
others;  he  is  one  who  respects  others' 
rights  to  live  and  be  happy. 

Let  us  consider  for  a  few  moments 
some  of  the  relationships  between  hu- 
man beings  that  are  desirable.  In  doing 
so  our  attention  will  be  directed  toward 
a  consideration  of  our  relationships  be- 
tween people  as  a  whole  and  of  a  young 
fellow  towards  a  girl  and  of  a  girl 
towards  a  fellow,  and  a  consideration 
of  other  phases  of  sociability  and  fel- 
lowship. 

Everyone  is  not  always  fair  with 
everyone  else.  This  is  due  to  many 
reasons:  personal  selfishness,  prejudices, 
jealousies,  misguidance,  carelessness, 
etc.  I  see  an  acquaintance  succeed  much 
faster  than  I  am  able  to  do.  I  become 
envious,  and  say  things  to  hurt  him. 
I  make  the  acquaintance  of  a  friend  of 
the  opposite  sex,  but  I  may  not  like 
him  or  her,  and  I  am  offensive  in  my 
conduct.  I  pass  a  remark  about  an- 
other which  belittles  him  in  the  eyes  of 
others.  In  all  these  things  I  am  unfair, 
a  poor  social  sport. 

Who  is  usually  subjected  to  most 
abuse  from  his  fellow-men?  As  a  rule, 
the  one  who  deserves  the  least.  Chil- 
dren do  not  make  fun  of  the  pretty 
girl;  instead  they  pick  on  the  one  who 


is  poor  or  ugly  or  has  freckles,  or 
who  is  dressed  in  an  old-fashioned 
way,  etc.  They  laugh  at  those  who 
are  at  a  disadvantage  already.  Grown 
people  do  the  same  thing.  It's  usually 
the  one  who  is  conspicuous  because 
of  some  handicap  or  deficiency  that  re- 
ceives the  most  abuse  and  neglect.  If 
one  is  rich  or  good-looking  or  attrac- 
tive, people  often  overlook  his  short- 
comings; but  they  are  inclined  to 
emphasize,  often  under  most  unpleas- 
ant circumstances,  the  faults  of  the 
less  attractive  or  more  unfortunate. 

There  is  a  kind  of  a  wound  which  is 
far  more  painful  than  a  physical  bruise 
or  cut.  It  is  a  wound  of  the  spirit  or 
feelings.  It  is  known  as  a  psychological 
wound.  It  cuts  deep  and  lasts  a  long 
time.  An  injury  to  the  body  will  usu 
ally  soon  heal  and  the  body  be  quickly 
restored  to  normal  health.  But  a  psy- 
chological wound  lingers  on,  sometimes 
crushing  the  spirit  of  the  wounded  one, 
often  killing  his  ambitions,  at  times 
making  him  bitter  towards  his  fellow- 
men,  and  continually  giving  him  pain 
and  suffering.  It's  the  psychological 
wound  that  is  inflicted  by  poor  social 
sportsmanship. 

None  of  us  is  perfect.  We  have  all 
done  and  thought  things  that  we  are 
ashamed  of,  or  at  least  that  we  would 
not  like  others  to  know.  In  most 
of  our  lives  unpleasant  memories  lin- 
ger. Now  if  one  person  happens  to 
know  something  of  this  sort  about  an- 
other, has  he  any  right  to  broadcast  it? 
Is  he  a  good  social  sport  if  he  tells  a 
thing,  when  the  telling  of  it  will  injure 
another,  or  lower  him  in  the  eyes  of 
his  fellow-men?  Have  any  of  us  a 
right  to  wound  the  feelings  of  another 
through  gossip?  The  pain  and  un- 
happiness  which  this  one  thing  has 
brought  to  mankind  is  almost  limitless. 
"The  tongue  is  fire,"  Paul  has  told  us. 
An  ungrateful  tongue  can  wound  the 
feelings  of  another  beyond  repair. 

Every  person  who  lives  has  some- 
thing about  him  which  is  worthy  of 
admiration.  Can  we  not  contribute 
much  to  the  happiness  of  each  other  by 


MUTUAL  WORK 


255 


making  others  conscious  of  the  noble  in 
our  associates?  There  is  good  and  bad 
in  everyone  and  everything.  Let's 
look  for  the  good  and  talk  about  it  if 
we  would  be  social  sports. 

Remember  the  story  of  the  roses. 
Two  old  ladies  were  walking  in  a 
garden  of  roses.  They  were  surrounded 
by  beauty.  One  of  the  ladies  put  forth 
her  hand  to  pick  a  rose.  As  she  did  so. 
she  pricked  her  finger  on  a  thorn.  She 
said  to  her  companion:  "Isn't  it  a 
shame  that  God,  when  he  created  such 
a    beautiful    flower    as    the    rose,    put 


thorns  on  its  bushes?"  Her  sister  an- 
swered by  saying,  "I  was  thinking  how 
thoughtful  God  was  when  he  created 
a  thorn  bush  for  putting  roses  on  it." 

Let's  look  for  the  roses — not  the 
thorns.  Let's  talk  about  the  good  in 
each  other — not  the  bad.  That's  the 
first  step  in  good  fellowship — the  see- 
ing of  good  in  others. 

*      *      * 

Suggestions  to  leaders:  Apply  the 
ideas  discussed  in  the  lesson  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  etiquette  as  contained  in  pre- 
vious lesson. 


Interpretation 

By  Professor  Edward  P.  Kimball,  Taken  Largely  From  the  Author's 

"Choristers'  Manual" 


In  "interpretation"  is  embodied 
everything  concerned  with  the  repro- 
duction of  a  song  or  a  piece  of  music 
except  the  purely  physical  agencies  em- 
ployed in  bringing  the  notes  into  being 
as  sound,  and  even  these  are  involved 
in  such  a  way  as  to  make  it  impossible 
to  think  of  interpretation  without 
taking  some  of  them  into  account, 
among  these  being  reading,  voice, 
breathing,  enunciation,  etc. 

The  meaning  of  interpret  is  "to  ex- 
plain, to  elucidate,  to  make  clear  the 
meaning  of,"  and  this  definition  holds 
good  in  music,  for  the  performer  finds 
that  his  task  is  to  make  clear  to  his 
auditors  the  message  of  the  composer. 
In  the  matter  of  interpretation  con- 
sideration of  the  composer  cannot  be 
omitted,  for,  in  the  words  of  von 
Sternberg,  the  interpreter  is  a  messen- 
ger from  the  composer  to  the  audience. 
And  "as  a  messenger  is  accountable  to 
both  sender  and  recipient  of  his  mes- 
sage, so  is  the  interpretive  artist  in  a 
position  of  two-fold  trust,  and,  there- 
fore, a  two-fold  responsibility.  The 
sender  of  his  message — creative  genius 
— is  behind  him;  before  him  sits  an 
expectant  and  confiding  audience,  the 
sovereign  addressee.  The  interpretive 
artist,  therefore,  first  has  to  enter  into 
the  spirit  of  his  message:  to  penetrate 


its  ultimate  meaning:  to  read  in,  as 
well  as  between,  the  lines.  And  then 
he  has  to  train  and  develop  his  facul- 
ties of  delivery,  of  vital  production, 
to  such  a  degree  as  to  enable  him  to  fix 
his  message  decisively,  and  with  no 
danger  of  being  misunderstood,  in  the 
mind  of  the  audience." 

He  might  have  gone  on  to  say  that 
if  one  is  to  be  able  to  understand  a  mes- 
sage for  his  own  information,  and  if 
this  understanding  is  to  give  him  some- 
thing intelligible  for  his  audience,  he 
must  be  able  to  read  the  language  in 
which  the  message  is  written.  The 
more  subtle  meanings  of  language  are 
plain  to  us  only  in  proportion  to  our 
knowledge  of  the  true  meaning  of 
words,  and  the  uses  of  punctuation. 

Music  and  language  are  closely  ana- 
logous. A  knowledge  of  all  the  sym- 
bols and  signs  used  in  a  printed  page 
of  music  is  essential  to  a  correct  un- 
derstanding of  the  composer's  intent, 
because  our  present  system  of  notation, 
is  so  complete  and  comprehensive  as 
to  make  it  possible  to  express  in  minute 
detail  practically  every  effect  desired, 
and  the  performer  is  weak  or  strong 
in  proportion  to  his  ability,  or  lack  of 
it,  to  read  this  music  language  easily, 
and  with  the  same  understanding  of 
its  various  subtleties,  as  he  reads  his 


256 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


mother  tongue.  Therefore,  it  may  be 
said  that  interpretation  is  founded  up- 
on the  written  language  of  music — 
notation.  Added  to  this  for  the  singer 
is  the  text,  but  the  former  must  be 
studied  as  such,  while  the  latter  is  one 
of  the  things  we  understand  because  it 
is  the  medium  in  which  we  express  all 
our  thoughts. 

One  important  factor  in  the  written 
page  which  contributes  to  proper  in- 
terpretation is  the  tempo  sign  of  the 
composition,  which  indicates  the  rate 
of  speed  desired  by  the  composer.  This 
is  made  by  the  use  of  words — usually 
Italian — which  must  be  known  if  the 
performer  is  to  get  the  correct  concep- 
tion of  tempo.  Briefly,  these  may  be 
classified  as  follows: 

The  very  slowest  tempo: 
Larghissimo    (superlative  of  Largo) . 
Adagissimo   (superlative  of  Adagio) . 
Lentissimo  (superlative  of  Lento) . 

A  very  slow  tempo: 
Largo    (from  Latin  "largus" — broad- 
large)  . 
Adagio    (at  ease) . 
Lento  (slow) . 

A  slow  tempo: 
Larghetto  (diminutive  of  Largo) . 
Adagietto   (diminutive  of  Adagio) . 

A  moderately  slow  tempo: 
Andante  (going  or  walking) . 
Andantino  (diminutive  of  Andante, 
meaning  literally  "going  less,"  but, 
because  of  a  misconception  of  the 
term,  now  more  frequently  under- 
stood as  meaning  slightly  faster  than 
andante) . 

A  moderate  tempo: 
Moderate 

A  moderately  rapid  tempo: 
Allegro  (cheerful) . 

Allegretto    (diminutive   of   Allegro — 
little  slower  than  Allegro) . 
A  very  rapid  tempo: 
Con  moto    (with  motion) . 
Vivo  (lively)  . 
Vivace   (vivacious) . 
Presto  (quick) . 
Presto  assai  (very  quick) . 

The  most  rapid  tempo  possible: 
Prestissimo   (superlative  of  Presto) . 


Vivacissimo  (superlative  of  Vivace) . 
Allegrissimo   (superlative  of  Allegro) . 
Prestissimo  possible  (hyper-superlative 
of  Presto) . 

These  terms  may  be,  and  often  are, 
followed  by  qualifying  words,  in 
which  case  they  should  be  looked  up 
in  a  music  dictionary.  The  above  are 
the  primary  designations  most  com- 
monly used  to  indicate  tempo.  Words 
which  indicate  change  in  tempo  should 
also  be  looked  up.  The  performer 
must  know  the  meaning  of  every  sign 
and  expression  used  on  a  page  of  music. 

Because  of  difference  in  opinion  as 
to  the  degree  of  speed  designated  by  the 
words  given  above,  it  is  not  possible 
to  indicate  exact  tempo  without  the 
aid  of  the  metronome.  Each  tick  of 
the  metronome  is  loudly  audible  and 
by  the  ticks  the  performer  governs  his 
tempo.  It  is  known  as  the  "Maelzel 
Metronome,"  and  its  use  on  a  com- 
position is  printed  M.  M.  (Maelzel's 
Metronome)  followed  by  a  note  and 
some  figures,  thus:  M.  M.=80  or 
just  =80.  The  machine  is  regulated 
to  allow  the  number  of  ticks  at  which 
the  weight  is  placed  to  pass  in  a  minute: 
viz.:  at  80,  eighty  ticks  per  minute. 
etc. 

Another  important  factor  in  the  ex- 
pressive performance  of  music  is  the 
loudness  and  softness  of  tone,  desig- 
nated by  the  technical  term  "dynam- 
ics." The  composer  has  much  to 
do  with  this  phase  of  expression,  and 
in  modern  standard  music  indications 
by  the  composers  are  plainly  given  in 
the  score,  and  yet  a  large  part  of  the 
responsibility  for  proper  dynamic  con- 
trast rests  with  performer,  and  cer- 
tainly greater  liberty  is  taken  with  dy- 
namics than  with  tempo. 

Much  of  the  emotional  effect  of  a 
composition  is  conveyed  by  the  changes 
from  "piano"  to  "forte"  and  vice 
versa,  the  development  of  "crescendo" 
and  "decrescendo,"  the  use  of  accents 
on  notes  or  chords,  as  well  as  the  subtle 
shadings  in  the  interpretations  which 
are  referred  to  as  "dynamic  nuances." 


MUTUAL  WORK 


257 


"Crescendo"  is  one  of  the  most  power- 
ful means  at  the  disposal  of  the  per- 
former, and  should  be  thoroughly  un- 
derstood, even  though  its  use  is  varied. 
The  safest  rule  to  follow  is  to  assume 
that  "crescendo"  means  increase,  and 
should  not  be  thought  of  otherwise 
unless  it  is  followed  by  one  of  the 
many  qualifying  expressions,  which, 
if  they  are  to  be  understood,  must  be 
looked  up  in  a  dictionary.  From  this 
definition  it  is  logical  to  infer  that 
crescendo  must  begin  with  the  degree 
of  tone  that  is  being  employed  in  the 
passage  in  which  the  direction  is  found. 
For  example,  if  the  passage  is  being 
done  softly  the  crescendo  should  begin 
softly  and  form  an  increase  to  the 
quantity  of  the  passage;  on  the  other 
hand,  if  the  passage  is  loud,  the  cres- 
cendo will  begin  loud,  and  increase  ac- 
cording to  the  length  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served. This  points  out  two  miscon- 
ceptions of  the  use  of  crescendo  which 
are  often  heard.  Some  performers  be- 
gin every  crescendo  loud,  irrespective 
of  the  degree  of  loudness  or  softness  of 
the  passage;  or  soft  in  every  instance, 
causing  in  either  case  an  abruptness  and 
variation  in  the  interpretation  which  is 
illogical,  and  which  destroys  the  emo- 
tional effect  of  the  rendition.  Then 
there  is  the  common  disposition  to 
accelerate  the  tempo  with  every  cres- 
cendo, and  retard  it  with  every  de- 
crescendo,  both  being  bad  faults  where 
it  is  not  directed,  or  where  the  context 
does  not  warrant  it.  Often  the  exact 
opposite  in  each  case  would  prove 
much  more  effective.  The  achievement 
of  a  perfect  and  consistent  crescendo 
is  greatly  to  be  desired. 

Following  is  a  list,  quite  compre- 
hensive, of  the  commonest  terms  used 
by  composers  to  indicate  dynamic  ef- 
fects: 

pianississimo    (ppp) ,   pianissimo  pos- 
sible— softly  as  possible 
pianissimo   (pp) ,  superlative  of  piano 

— very  softly 
piano    (p) ,  softly 
piu  piano,  more  softly 
il  piu  piano,  most  softly 


piano  assai,  very  softly 

mezzo  piano  (mp) ,  moderately  softly 

forte  (f ) ,  loudly 

fortissimo  (ff) ,  very  loudly — super- 
lative of  forte 

fortississimo  (fff) ,  as  loudly  as  pos- 
sible 

piu  forte,  more  loudly 

il  piu  forte,  most  loudly 

il  piu  forte  possible,  as  loudly  as  pos- 
sible 

mezzo  forte   (mf ) ,  moderately  loudly 

forte-piano,  loudly  followed  imme- 
diately by  softly 

forzando,  sforzando,  (sf  or  sfz) ,  for- 
sato  (fz) ,  sforzato  (sfz) .  These 
words  indicate  that  a  single  note  or 
chord  is  to  be  accented,  the  amount 
of  stress  depending  upon  the  char- 
acter of  the  passage 
Also  the  sign  resembling  a  caret,  on 
its  side  or  pointing  upward. 

reinforzando  (rnf ) ,  rinforzato  (rfz) , 
reinforced,  a  definite  increase  in 
power  extending  through  a  phrase 
or  passage 

crescendo  (cres) ,  gradually  louder,  in- 
dicated also  by  lines  beginning  at  a 
point  and  gradually  separating  to 
indicate  an  increase  in  tone 

decrescendo  (decres) ,  diminuendo 
(dim) ,  gradually  softer,  indicated 
also  by  lines  beginning  some  dis- 
tance apart  and  running  together 
to  a  point,  the  opposite  to  the  above 

crescendo  poco  a  poco,  becoming 
louder  little  by  little 

crescendo  subito,  becoming  louder  im- 
mediately 

crescendo  m  o  1  t  o.  becoming  much 
louder 

crescendo  al  fortissimo,  becoming 
louder  until  fortissimo  has  been 
reached 

crescendo  poi  diminuendo,  crescendo  e 
diminuendo,  gradually  louder  and 
then  gradually  softer 

crescendo  ed  animando,  gradually 
louder  and  faster 

diminuendo  al  pianissimo,  gradually 
softer  until  pianissimo  has  been 
reached 

morendo,  perdeneosi,  smorzando,  cal- 


258 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


ando,  gradually  dying  away,  softer 
and  slower  by  small  degrees 
con  amore,   with  tenderness 
con  bravura,  with  boldness 
con  energia,  with  energy 
con   expressione,   expressivo   with   ex- 
pression 
con  brio,  with  brilliancy 
con  fuoco,  with  fire 
con  passione,  with  passion 
con  grazia,  with  grace 
con  tenereza,  with  tenderness 
dolce,  gently    (literally,  sweetly) 
giocosso,  humorously 
giojosco,  joyously 
con  maesta,  maestoso,  majestically 
pastorale,  in  pastoral  style 
pomposo,  pompously 
scherzando,  scherzoso,  jokingly 
sotto  voce,  with  subdued  voice. 

In  his  helpful  book  on  conducting, 
Gehrkens  presents  valuable  suggestions 
on  dynamics,  some  of  which  are  given 
below.  Those  remarks  about  instru- 
ments are  applicable  also  to  vocal 
groups,  so  a  study  of  them  is  recom- 
mended. Among  other  things  he  says: 
"The  pianissimo  of  choruses  and 
orchestras  is  seldom  soft  enough.  The 
extreme  limit  of  soft  tone  is  very  ef- 
fective in  both  choral  and  orchestral 
music,  and  most  conductors  seem  to 
have  no  adequate  notion  of  how  soft 
the  tone  may  be  made  in  such  passages. 
This  is  especially  true  of  chorus  music 
in  the  church  service;  and  even  the 
gospel  singer,  Sankey,  is  said  to  have 
found  that  the  softest,  rather  than  the 
loudest,  singing  was  spiritually  the 
most  impressive. 

"Pianissimo  singing  or  playing  does 
not  imply  a  slower  tempo,  and  in 
working  with  very  soft  passages  the 
conductor  must  be  constantly  on  guard 
lest  the  performers  begin  to  'drag.'  If 
the  same  virile  and  spirited  response  is 
insisted  upon  in  such  places  as  is  de- 
manded in  ordinary  passages,  the  ef- 
fect will  be  greatly  improved,  and  the 
singing  moreover  will  not  nearly  so 
likely  fall  from  pitch. 

"The  most  important  voice  from 
the  standpoint  of  melody  must  in  some 


way  be  made  to  stand  out  above  the 
other  parts.  This  may  be  done  in 
two  ways: 

"1.  By  making  the  melody  louder 
than  the  other  parts. 

"2.  By  subduing  the  other  parts 
sufficiently  to  make  the  melody  prom- 
inent by  contrast. 

"The  second  method  is  frequently 
the  better  and  should  more  frequently 
be  made  use  of  in  ensemble  music  than 
is  now  the  case  in  amateur  perform- 
ances." 

Again,  he  says: 

"In  polyphonic  music  containing 
imitative  passages,  the  part  having  the 
subject  must  be  louder  than  the  rest, 
especially  at  its  first  entrance.  *  *  * 
In  vocal  music  the  accent  and  cres- 
cendo marks  provided  by  the  composer 
are  intended  merely  to  indicate  the 
proper  pronunciation  of  some  part  of 
the  text.  Often,  too,  they  assist  in  the 
declamation  of  the  text  by  indicating 
the  climax  of  the  phrase,  i.  e.,  the 
point  of  the  greatest  emphasis.  The 
dynamic  directions  provided  by  the 
composers  are  intended  to  indicate  only 
the  broader  and  more  obvious  effects, 
and  it  will  be  necessary  for  the  per- 
former to  introduce  many  changes  not 
indicated  in  the  score.  [This  is  im- 
portant, but  must  not  be  abused!] 
All  expression  signs  are  relative,  never 
absolute,  and  piano,  crescendo,  sfor- 
zando,  etc.,  are  frequently  overdone  by 
amateurs.  Both  conductors  and  per- 
formers seeming  to  imagine  that  every 
time  the  word  crescendo  occurs  the  per- 
formers are  to  blow  or  sing  at  the  very 
top  of  their  power  and  that  sforzando 
means  a  violent  accent  approaching  the 
effect  of  a  blast  of  dynamite,  whether 
occurring  in  the  midst  of  a  vigorous, 
spirited  movement,  or  in  a  tender 
lullaby." 

On  this  point  Berlioz  says: 

"Simple  shadings  become  thick 
blurs,  accents  become  passionate 
shrieks.  The  effects  intended  by  the 
poor  composer  are  quite  distorted  and 
the  attempts  of  the  conductors  to  be 
artistic,  however  honest  they  may  be, 


MUTUAL  WORK 


259 


remind  one  of  the  tenderness  of  the  ass 
in  the  fable,  who  knocked  his  master 
down  in  trying  to  caress  him." 

The  discussion  of  interpretation 
will  close  with  a  short  consideration 
of  a  very  important  element — phras- 
ing, which  in  music  is  similar  to 
phrasing  in  language.  In  both  cases 
it  is  a  thought,  incomplete,  and  form- 
ing a  part  of  some  larger  idea,  which 
must  be  slightly,  though  definitely, 
separated  from  the  preceding  and  fol- 
lowing phrases  so  that  it  may  be  un- 
derstood. Nevertheless,  it  must  be 
rendered,  in  relation  to  foregoing  and 
consequent  material,  so  as  to  take  its 
part  as  an  integral  part  of  the  whole. 
It  is  necessary  to  emphasize  the  im- 
portant words  of  a  language  and  the 
most  significant  tones  in  a  music 
phrase,  as  well  as  to  subordinate  the 
lesser  important  parts  in  such  a  way  as 
to  project  the  whole  as  complete  and 
clear.  It  is  not  necessary  here  to  draw 
attention  to  the  importance  of  phras- 
ing in  the  reading  of  a  language,  since 
one  could  scarcely  convey  the  meaning 
of  the  thought  groups  to  the  listener 
without  causing  the  important  ele- 
ments to  stand  out  by  stressing  them 
and  separating  each  from  the  other. 
While  phrasing  of  music  is  not  so  easy 
to  understand  or  to  effect,  because  of 
the  absence  of  symbolism,  it  is  never- 
theless quite  as  important  in  the  ex- 
pressive performance  of  music  as  it  is 
in  language.    To  quote  Gehrken  again: 

"In  order  to  interpret  properly,  the 
conductor  must  first  of  all  determine 
what  tones  belong  together  in  a  group; 
must  make  the  individuality  of  these 
groups  evident  by  slightly  separating 
them,  but  usually  not  to  the  degree  of 
distributing  the  basic  rhythmic  flow; 
and  must  manage  the  dynamics  and 
tempo  of  each  phrase  as  to  make  its 
content  clear  to  the  listener." 

In  vocal  music,  the  task  is  not  dif- 
ficult, because  the  composer  has  gener- 
ally adapted  his  musical  phrase  to  the 
text,  and  all  that  is  necessary  to  do  is 
to   follow   the   phrasing   of  the   text. 


The  conductor  may  well  be  warned 
against  the  commonest  faults  resulting 
in  poor  phrasing,  the  avoidance  of 
which  will  improve  materially  his 
choir's  work.  One  authority  cites  as 
the  most  common  mistakes  the  follow- 
ing: 

1.  Taking  breath  unnecessarily  in 
the  middle  of  the  phrase. 

2.  Breathing  between  the  syllables 
of  a  word. 

3.  Dividing  a  long  phrase  improp- 
erly. 

4.  Running  over  breathing  places, 
where  a  pause  is  really  necessary  in 
order  to  bring  out  the  meaning  of  the 
text. 

5.  Pronouncing  the  unaccented 
syllable  of  a  word  at  the  end  of  a 
phrase  with  too  much  emphasis. 

6.  Failing  to  stress  the  climax  suf- 
ficiently. 

These  mistakes  are  most  frequently 
made,  because  the  singer  fails  to  base 
his  phrasing  upon  the  text,  but  con- 
siders only  the  music.  One  can  apply 
the  principles  of  oral  expression  to 
phrasing  in  music  with  profit. 

If  one  will  examine  sacred  song 
texts  one  will  often  see  the  reason  for 
careful  phrasing.  For  example,  if  the 
poet  writes: 

Jesus  lives!  no  longer  now 
Can   thy   terrors,    Death,   appall   us! 
and  the  choir  or  singer  phrases  it: 
Jesus  lives  no  longer  now, 
Can   thy   terrors,   Death,   appall   us? 
the  result  is  not  true,  but  this  sort  of 
thing  is  met  constantly.     Even  in  long 
phrases  which  cannot  be  sung  without 
breathing,  care  must  be  taken  to  make 
the  punctuation   so   that   it   does   not 
change  the  text. 

Subsequent  lessons  will  deal  in  more 
detail  with  the  breath  and  its  effects. 
Sufficient  has  been  given  under  the  title, 
"Interpretation,"  to  furnish  the  chor- 
isters with  some  definite  helps  in  ren- 
dering properly  any  page  of  music 
closely  in  harmony  with  the  com- 
poser's intention. 


260 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Efficiency  Report  for  November,  1928 


STAKE 


bo 
.8 

■4-1 

(U 
QJ 

s 

o 

4-1 

S 

'5 

ri 
bO 

o 

a 

VI 

.a 

6 
S 

u 

C 

•a 

4— > 

< 

> 

< 

*-» 
]> 
*-» 

u 

< 

"C 
a 

00 

c 
'3  c 

c  .5 

3  O 

DO 

g..S 

o 

4-1 

a 

g 

c 
a 
Q 

<3 

c 

01 

E 
S 

o 
c 

a 

E 

13 

C 
3 
PU 

9 

10 

6 

12 

5 

6 

5 

29 

8 

4 

1 

7 

2 

18 

10 

10 

5 

21 

5 

10 

21 

15 

11 

12 

15 

10 

11 

27 

10 

10 

10 

14 

7 

13 

10 

10 

15 

15 

8 

5 

17 

20 

12 

13 

19 

10 

12 

25 

1 

6 

6 

7 

6 

15 

4 

4 

4 

13 

2 

4 

19 

19 

11 

14 

19 

10 

10 

29 

6 

3 

18 

19 

7 

12 

11 

9 

12 

22 

2 

1 

10 

14 

5 

._. 

9 

6 

6 

20 

10 

4 

13 

21 

12 

10 

16 

7 

12 

18 

10 

11 

12 

16 

15 

10 

8 

8 

2 

8 

5 

17 

22 

21 

9 

13 

20 

10 

15 

33 

5 

9 

9 

13 

9 

14 

6 

6 

7 

13 

4 

11 

9 

8 

8 

8 

6 

6 

14 

3 

8 

16 

21 

9 

12 

18 

10 

13 

23 

7 

9 

15 

18 

8 

13 

14 

9 

8 

23 

6 

2 

12 

11 

9 

14 

7 

8 

14 

17 

10 

5 

6 

7 

3 

5 

8 

4 

20 

1 

3 

16 

16 

11 

12 

12 

10 

10 

15 

4 

8 

13 

10 

9 

10 

4 

6 

2 

10 

12 

2 

15 

16 

9 

12 

18 

10 

13 

24 

2 

4 

1 

6 

5 

10 

6 

4 

7 

7 

4 

14 

8 

7. 

14 

4 

2 

3 

3 

3 

4 

17 

16 

8 

12 

15 

9 

11 

22 

7 

5 

30 

21 

13 

16 

20 

10 

10 

32 

7 

7 

22 

20 

13 

13 

20 

10 

13 

34 

4 

20 

1  n 

15 

9 

1  1 

15 

10 

10 

37 

5 

10 

1  io 

9 

7 

10 

10 

5 

3 

12 

5 

5 

1  4 

4 

2 

14 

- 

3 

5 

2 

1  14 

15 

8 

13 

14 

9 

14 

21 

6 

6 

1   7 

6 

6 

17 

5 

3 

5 

2 

2 

1  15 

15 

11 

13 

11 

7 

6 

18 

10 

7 

1   4 

16 

10 

12 

19 

10 

13 

24 

10 

7 

1   9 

18 

1 

9 

10 

10 

10 

7 

10 

1  15 

15 

12 

14 

15 

9 

8 

18 

9 

9 

1  13 

17 

9 

11 

16 

10 

8 

20 

10 

15 

1   8  1 

12 

11  | 

7 

8 

6 

5 

15 

8 

12 

1  13  | 

10 

9  1 

12 

9 

6 

6 

16 

5 

5 

4  I 

5  1 

4  I 

13 

4 

3 

2 

4 

1 

2 

13  | 

15 

12  | 

9 

4 

8 

6 

20 

5 

9 

5  1 

5  | 

17  | 

8 

6 

4 

3 

2 

7 

4 

1  11  I 

10  1 

5  I 

18 

10 

10 

10 

9  1 

5 

3 

io  I 

10  I 

4  1 

14  1 

3  1 

7! 

7 

8  1 

3 

1 

Bear  River 

Beaver     . — 

Box  Elder  

Cache    

East  Jordan  .__ 

Emery     

Ensign    

Granite   

Grant    

Gunnison 

Lehi    

Liberty    

Millard   

Nebo    

North  Davis    .. 
North  Sanpete 
North    Weber 

Ogden   

Oquirrh     

Parowan   

Pioneer    

Portneuf   

Roosevelt    

Salt   Lake   

Sevier    

South  Davis  _ 
South  Sanpete 
South  Sevier   . 

Uintah 

Weber     _. 

Blaine     

Franklin    .. 

Fremont    

Idaho      

Idaho  Falls  .._ 
Malad 

Minidoka    

Pocatello   

Rigby   

Shelley    

Teton 

Yellowstone  _. 
Big    Horn    


MUTUAL   WORK 


261 


STAKE 

bo 

a 

c 
o 

n 
N 
'5 

CO 

6 

a 

T3 
G 

CD 

< 
do 

V3 

< 

C 

'S    C 
>    ° 

O  .5 

CO 

a  e 

"J 

-a  ** 

0 

s 

6 

M 

r3 

u 

UJ 

c 
E 

o 

CX 

-a 
a 

s 

'o 

r3 

s 

o 

2 

< 

C/3 

3    O 
00  >-j 

Q 

H 

tu 

h 

Hollywood    

19 

17 

17 

13 

J  is 

10 

16 

22 

6 

12 

147 

Los   Angeles    

20 

20 

11 

15 

1  18 

10 

17 

33 

12 

14 

170 

Maricopa    -      

12 

15 

13 

14 

18 

9 

13 

23 

6 

10 

133 

15 
13 
13 

12 
14 
13 

9 

11 

6 

15 
15 
13 

16 
13 
12 

7 
7 
7 

10 
9 

7 

17 
23 
13 

20 

14 

6 

13 

7 
7 

134 

Taylor                       -  

126 

Woodruff   -  _       

97 

Young _ 

13 

13 

11 

18 

14 

10 

____ 

16 

6 

2 

103 

California    Mission    

19 

3 

13 

13 

16 

10 

3 

16 

16 

19 

138 

N.  W.  States  Mission   _ 

17 

17 

18 

14 

17 

10 

1    10 

16 

18 

15 

152 

Central  States  Mission 

3 

2 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1     2 

1 

1 

5 

28 

Public  Obligation  in  Music 

Does  not  the  community  owe  a  great  deal  to  the  parent  who  spends  his 
money,  often  hard-earned,  to  provide  musical  training  for  his  child?  And  to 
the  child  as  well,  who  sacrifices,  sad  to  relate,  many  of  the  pleasures  of  child- 
hood to  develop  his  ability  to  play  an  instrument  and  ultimately  to  give  the 
community  a  measure  of  aesthetic  enjoyment?  Should  not  the  first  duty  be 
to  encourage  those  who  show  initiative,  ability,  and  industry  in  music,  and 
to  assist  them  by  supplying  the  training  which  the  private  individual  finds 
beyond  his  scope  to  provide?  Should  not  the  community  come  to  the  aid  of 
the  private  teacher  and  make  his  work  more  vital  and  far-reaching  by  furnish- 
ing his  pupil  with  the  opportunity  to  apply  the  principles  he  is  teaching  and 
the  ability  he  is  developing? 

I  believe  the  most  vital  need  today  in  the  field  of  instrumental  music  is 
the  working  out,  in  all  the  schools  throughout  the  country,  of  a  general  musical 
scheme  of  ensemble  and  orchestral  training.  This  would  supply  a  powerful 
stimulus  to  those  who  already  play,  and  would  arouse  interest  in  instrumental 
music. — By  Charles  Kent,  Supervisor  of  Music,  Rock  Springs  Public  Schools. 
Wyoming. 


John  Milton 

0  Milton,  there  is  much  I  owe  to  thee, 

Aside  from  word  of  inspiration  flowing  from  that  pen 
Which  gave  to  me  a  grasp  of  truth  sublime 

Concerning  my  primeval  state  beyond  mere  mortal  ken. 

1  see  from  out  thy  days  in  darkness  spent. 

The  drama  of  a  life,  a  soul  with  no  desire  for  rest. 
One  mighty  fact  of  service  I  have  culled; 

That  just  by  patient  waiting  one  may  often  serve  the  best. 

Raymond,  Canada  HELEN  KIMBALL  ORGILL 


Pioneer  passes  away.  John  Wick- 
ersham  Woolley,  pioneer  of  1848,  died 
at  his  home  in  Centerville,  Utah,  early 
Thursday  morning,  Dec.  13,  1928. 
Mr.  Woolley  first  saw  Salt  Lake  valley 
in  1848  when  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age.  He  made  eight  trips  across  the 
plains,  acting  as  guide  and  captain. 
Many  of  the  maps  used  by  the  emi- 
grants were  made  by  Mr.  Woolley. 
He  was  born  in  Westchester  township, 
Pennsylvania,  on  December  31,  1831. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  policemen  in 
Salt  Lake.  He  held  various  positions 
in  the  Church. 

Joseph  Hyrum  Moesser,  who  ar- 
rived in  Salt  Lake  valley  in  1847,  died 
at  a  hospital  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Dec. 
10,  1928.  He  was  born  October  11, 
1836,  in  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  survived  by  the  following  chil- 
dren: Edwin  F.  Moesser,  Frank  D. 
Moesser,  Mrs.  Martha  Todd,  Mrs. 
Maud  I.  Warr  and  Mrs.  Belle  M.  Mac- 
kay  of  Granger;  forty-three  grandchil- 
dren and  forty-two  great-grandchil- 
dren; a  sister,  Mrs.  Emma  Gardner,  of 
Payson. 

Plot  against  Hoover.  A  statement 
published  at  Buenos  Aires,  Dec.  11, 
1928,  was  to  the  effect  that  an  anar- 
chist plot  to  assassinate  Mr.  Herbert 
Hoover,  by  means  of  a  bomb  placed 
on  the  railroad  track,  had  been  dis- 
covered and  frustrated.  Fifteen  hun- 
dred special  guards  were  immediately 
employed  to  insure  his  safety  during 
his  stay  in  the  Argentine  republic. 

The  Pan-American  conference  on 
arbitration  and  conciliation  convened 
Dec.  10,  1928,  in  Washington,  D. 
C,  pursuant  to  a  resolution  adopted 
at  the  last  Pan-American  congress.  All 
American  republics,  except  Argentina, 
were  represented.  President  Coolidge 
greeted  the  delegates  and  was  enthu- 


EVENTS 


siastically  applauded.  Secretary  Kellogg 
was  made  permanent  chairman  of  the 
conference.  One  of  the  first  actions 
taken  was  to  appoint  a  committee 
"charged  with  the  duty  of  advising  the 
conference  with  respect  to  the  concili- 
atory action  which,  if  necessary,  it 
might  render,  cooperating  with  the  in- 
strumentalities now  employed  in  the 
friendly  solution  of  the  problem"  be- 
tween Bolivia  and  Paraguay.  The 
members  of  this  committee  are,  Dr. 
Maurtua,  Ambassador  Ferrara,  Dr. 
Manuel  Foster  of  Chile,  Ambassador 
Gurgel  Do  Amoral  of  Brazil  and 
Charles  Evans  Hughes.  The  Bolivian 
and  Paraguayan  ministers  to  Wash- 
ington also  would  serve  on  the  com- 
mittee. 

The  Council  of  the  League  of  Na- 
tions convened  Dec.  10,  at  Lugano. 
Switzerland.  Great  interest  was  mani- 
fested among  the  delegates  regarding 
the  nature  of  the  step  which  the 
United  States  may  take  in  connection 
with  its  reported  intention  to  reopen 
negotiations  concerning  entrance  into 
the  world  court.  Among  the  ques- 
tions before  the  Council  is  the  repar- 
ation problem  and  the  removal  of 
allied  troops  from  German  territory. 

Archbishop  "enthroned."  Dr.  Cos- 
mo Gordon  Lang,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury and  primate  of  the  Anglican 
church,  was  "enthroned"  Dec.  4,  1928. 
in  what  is  described  as  one  of  the  most 
colorful  ecclesiastical  ceremonials 
England  has  seen  in  many  years.  The 
high-vaulted  choir  of  ancient  Canter- 
bury cathedral,  with  its  historic  "St. 
Augustine's  chair"  standing  alone  in 
front  of  the  high  altar  before  which 
Thomas  a  Becket  was  murdered  in 
1 1 70,  was  the  scene  of  this  extraor- 
dinary pageant. 

Bishop  William  J.  Tuddenham,  for 


PASSING  EVENTS 


263 


many  years  prominent  in  Church  and 
business  circles,  died  in  his  home  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  Dec.  5,  1928,  at  the 
age  of  eighty  years.  Born  in  England 
May  27,  1848,  Mr.  Tuddenham  em- 
braced the  Gospel  early  in  life  and 
came  to  the  United  States,  crossing  the 
plains  to  Utah  by  ox  team  in  1864. 
He  at  once  entered  the  contracting  busi- 
ness and  built  some  of  the  first  smelters 
in  Utah.  He  aided  in  the  construction 
of  smelters  in  Pueblo,  Colorado.  He 
supervised  the  construction  of  a  num- 
ber of  large  buildings  in  Salt  Lake 
City  and  elsewhere.  Among  the  build- 
ings constructed  by  him  are  the  Hotel 
Utah,  L.  D.  S.  hospital,  Deseret  gym- 
nasium, Deseret  Bank  building  and  a 
number  of  public  school  buildings. 
Mr.  Tuddenham  was- counselor  to  the; 
late  Bishop  Marcellus  S.  Woolley  of 
the  Twenty-first  ward  and  succeeded 
George  H.  Wallace  in  the  bishopric, 
serving  until  1925.  Surviving  Mr. 
Tuddenham  are  his  widow,  Mrs.  Mary 
A.  Read  Tuddenham,  three  sons,  Wil- 
liam J.,  Jr.,  Joseph  R.  and  John  C. 
Tuddenham  and  a  daughter,  Mrs.  J. 
E.  Langford,  Jr.,  of  Cedarhurst,  L.  I.; 
14  grandchildren  and  two  great-grand- 
children. 

The  seventieth  congress  re-assembled 
Dec.  3.  1928,  for  its  final  labors.  The 
opening  ceremonies  were  brief.  With- 
in an  hour  the  house  adjourned  for  the 
day,  and  the  senate  session  lasted  only 
fifteen  minutes.  The  message  of  Pres- 
ident Coolidge  to  congress  was  read  on 
Dec.  4.  It  was,  as  usual,  a  lengthy  doc- 
ument. The  president  re-affirms  his  po- 
sition on  the  questions  of  the  day,  and 
deals  specially  with  farm  relief,  taxa- 
tion, economy,  naval  construction, 
waterways,  Boulder  canyon,  Muscle 
Shoals  and  restriction  of  immigration. 

Ezra  Meeker  passes  away.  With 
the  death  of  Ezra  Meeker  in  Seattle. 
Washington,  Dec.  3,  1928.  a  long  and 
remarkable  career  is  ended.  He  was 
born  at  Huntsville,  Ohio.  Dec.  29, 
1 830,  and  in  1851  struck  out  for  Iowa 
to  homestead  a   farm.      In    1852,   he 


and  his  young  wife  joined  a  wagon 
caravan  for  California  and  Oregon. 
He  settled  first  at  Portland,  then  moved 
to  a  place  south  of  Tacoma,  and  then 
to  Puyallup.  Four  years  he  spent  in 
England  as  an  agent  of  the  hop 
growers.  Meeker  retraced  the  Oregon 
Trail  with  an  oxteam  in  1906  and 
four  years  ago  flew  over  the  route  in 
an  airplane  piloted  by  Lieutenant  Oak- 
ley G.  Kelley.  His  last  years  were 
spent  in  obtaining  recognition  of  the 
heroism  of  the  Oregon  Trail  pioneers 
by  inducing  communities  along  the 
route  to  erect  suitable  markers.  Few 
men  have  lived  to  see  the  development 
of  the  communications  of  a  country 
from  oxteam  to  pony  express,  railroad 
and  flying  machines.  Still  fewer  have 
lived  to  try  all  these  means  of  trans- 
portation. Meeker  was  one  of  these 
few. 

Earthquake  in  Chile.  The  south- 
ern part  of  Chile  was  visited  by  a 
destructive  earthquake  Dec.  1,  1928. 
in  which  a  hundred  lives  were  lost  and 
at  least  $12,000,000  worth  of  dam- 
age done  to  property.  The  city  of 
Talca  was  almost  entirely  wiped  out 
of  existence.  Other  places  affected 
were  Chilian.  Curico,  Pelezuen  and 
Santa  Cruz.  Santiago  and  Valparaiso 
were  only  slightly  damaged,  but  sev- 
eral persons  perished  in  the  rush  of  the 
people  to  safety,  when  the  earth  trem- 
ors first  were  felt.  The  government, 
from  the  fragmentary  reports  reaching 
the  capital,  was  having  great  difficulty 
in  determining  the  exact  number  of 
casualties,  but  the  most  conservative 
estimate  was  more  than  100  killed 
with  some  ranging  as  high  as  1  80.  The 
number  of  injured  was  placed  variously 
at  from  300  to  500.  The  death  toll 
and  property  damage  continued  to 
grow  says  a  later  report.  On  Dec.  3, 
the  known  deaths  numbered  218;  the 
seriously  injured  257:  the  slightly  in- 
jured, more  than  2000,  and  the  home- 
less, in  the  neighborhood  of  20,000. 

Sabbath  desecration.  R.  H.  Martin. 
D.  D,.  of  Pittsburgh,  in  a  sermon  here, 


264 


IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Dec.  2,  1928,  declared  that  there  are 
few  places  in  America  where  so  little 
regard  is  shown  the  Sabbath  as  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  The  influence  of 
the  Sabbath  breaking  in  the  Nation's 
capital,  the  speaker  said,  is  world-wide. 
The  speaker  further  stated  that  there 
are  83,000,000  living  in  the  United 
States  who  patronize  commercialized 
Sunday  movies,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  much  unnecessary  labor  and 
business  are  carried  on  every  Sunday. 

A  devastating  typhoon  struck  the 
central  Philippine  islands,  Nov.  22-24, 
1928,  with  the  result  that  hundreds 
of  people  perished,  and  thousands  be- 
came homeless.  The  typhoon  was  de- 
scribed by  Governor  General  Stimson 
as  comparable  in  force  with  the  one 
which  recently  wrought  havoc  in 
Porto  Rico.  Communication  was  dis- 
rupted, but  reports  that  trickled  in 
prior  to  today  stated  that  the  Islands 
of  Luzon,  Samar,  Romblon,  Tablas, 
Masbite,  Mindoro,  Cebu  and  Panay 
had  suffered  severely.  The  town  of 
Legaspi,  in  southern  Luzon,  and  the 
vicinity  had  7000  homeless,  but  yester- 
day had  so  far  recovered  as  to  decline 
the  relief  brought  by  the  cruiser  Mil- 
waukee. 

New  President  in  Mexico.  The  pro- 
visional president  of  Mexico,  Emilio 
Portes  Gil,  took  the  reigns  of  govern- 
ment in  Mexico,  Nov.  30,  1928,  to 
serve  one  year  until  the  election  of  a 
regular  president.  In  his  address  to  the 
20,000  people  present  he  pledged  his 
administration  to  a  continuance  of  the 
policies  of  President  Plutarco  Elias 
Calles,  whom  he  succeeded.  He  made 
special  mention  of  his  hope  of  continu- 
ing a  mutual  understanding  with  the 
United  States. 

Golden  Wedding  Anniversary.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Joseph  R.  Murdock,  promi 
nent  residents  of  Heber  City,  Utah, 
celebrated  their  golden  wedding  anni- 
versary, Nov.  29,  1928.  at  the  home 
of  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Sylvester 
Broadbent,  446  South  Twelfth  East 
St.,   Salt  Lake  City.      Mr.   Murdock 


was  born  in  Salt  Lake,  August  11, 
1858,  the  son  of  Nymphus  C.  and 
Sarah  Barney  Murdock.  The  family 
went  to  Wasatch  county  to  make  their 
home  in  1871.  Mr.  Murdock  is  now 
a  member  of  the  Utah  Water  Storage 
commission  and  is  president  of  the 
Bank  of  Heber  City,  the  Provo  Reser- 
voir company,  the  Utah  Lake  Irriga- 
tion company  and  the  Wasatch  Live- 
stock &  Loan  Company.  For  the 
past  twenty-two  years  he  has  been 
president  of  the  Wasatch  stake  of  the 
Church.  Mrs.  Murdock  was  born 
August  11,1  860,  at  Provo,  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Jemima  Wright. 
She  has  been  active  the  greater  part 
of  her  life  in  L.  D.  S.  Church  affairs. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Murdock  were  married 
November  28,  1878,  in  the  old  En- 
dowment house  at  Salt  Lake.  They 
were  then  residents  of  Wasatch  county, 
making  their  home  at  Heber. 

Something  to  be  thankful  for.  The 
Rocky  Mountain  region — Montana, 
Wyoming,  Utah,  Idaho,  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico — were  covered  with  a 
heavy  blanket  of  snow,  Nov.  29. 
Some  cities  in  Colorado  and  Wyo- 
ming had  from  one  foot  to  two  feet  of 
snow.  The  flakes,  which  fell  con- 
tinuously for  thirty-two  hours,  were 
hailed  as  manna  in  the  farm  belt  of 
the  mountain  states.  Livestock  was 
not  injured;  automobile  accidents  were 
singularly  few  and  transportation  and 
communication  systems  were  only 
slightly  affected. 

Hoover  in  Honduras.  President- 
elect Herbert  Hoover  was  welcomed  at 
Amapala,  Honduras,  Nov.  26,  1928, 
by  a  delegation  from  the  capital, 
Tegucigalpa,  headed  by  the  president- 
elect of  Honduras,  M.  Don  Vincente 
Mejia  Colindres.  He  expressed  pro- 
found regret  at  the  inability  of  the 
Honduran  president,  Miguel  Paz  Bara- 
hona,  to  be  present  personally  and  ex- 
pressed his  conviction  that  the  trip  of 
Mr.  Hoover  would  be  "most  effective 
in  cementing  relations  between  the 
United    States    and    Latin-America." 


PASSING  EVENTS 


265 


The  battleship  Maryland,  which  had 
brought  Mr.  Hoover  from  San  Pedro, 
Cal.,  after  a  week's  cruise  down  the 
west  coast,  was  sighted  off  this  port 
at  8:15  a.  m.,  Nov.  26.  The  great 
warship  anchored  at  9  a.  m.,  east  of 
Menguerra  island,  Honduras,  in  the 
Gulf  of  Fonseca,  seven  miles  west  of 


Amapala.  Mutual  respect  among 
countries  was  described  later  in  the  day 
by  Herbert  Hoover,  in  the  second 
speech  of  his  good- will  trip,  to  repre- 
sentatives of  the  republic  of  Salvador, 
as  the  "foundation  of  all  sound  inter- 
national relations." 


Farm  Freedom 


The  happiest  people  are  those  who  live 
close  to  nature,  and  where  can  one  live 
closer  to  nature  than  on  a  farm?  In  order 
to  develop,  humans  must  have  freedom 
and  live  simply.  The  freedom  of  life 
on  the  farm  cannot  be  over-estimated. 

The  city  dweller  employs  all  his  time 
earning  money  in  order  to  buy  the  same 
luxuries  that  his  wealthy  neighbor  has. 
Most  of  his  evenings  are  spent  in  crowded 
theatres  or  in  over-heated  rooms  at  various 
social  functions,  for  he  must  entertain  and 
be  entertained.  He  has  no  time  to  enjoy 
the  chirp  of  the  cricket;  he  does  not  know 
the  delight  to  be  derived  from  listening 
to  the  music  of  the  wind  in  the  tree  tops. 

The  peace  and  quiet  of  the  farm  can 
only  be  appreciated  by  spending  a  few 
nights  in  the  city  where  the  street  cars 
wail;  where  trucks  rattle  and  bang  along 
the  pavements;  where  midnight  revellers 
shout. 

Most  farm  folks  work  hard  during 
the  daylight  hours,  but  night  brings  its 
reward  in  quiet,  unbroken,  restful  slumber. 
The  days  may  seem  long  but  a  peaceful- 
ness  permeates  them  that  is  utterly  lacking 
in  the  bustle  of  the  city. 

The  average  span  of  life  for  the 
dweller  in  the  crowded  marts  is  much 
shorter  than  for  the  farm  individual. 
Time  in  the  city  speeds  like  the  revolutions 
of  an  automobile  engine. 

It  becomes  a  tragedy  when  one  stands 
apart  and  watches  the  velocity  with  which 
many  city  dwellers  endeavor  to  make  life 


one  immense  race-course.  They  put 
wheels  under  their  feet  to  make  daylight 
hours  fly;  they  jazz  away  the  nights  that 
God  made  to  heal  the  wounds  left  on  the 
heart  and  soul  by  the  hurts  of  the  day. 
Mentally  and  physically  they  keep  them- 
selves in  a  continuous  whirl,  seeming  to 
give  no  thought  to  the  fact  that  this  old 
world  is  a  fine  place  to  live — a  worth- 
while place,  if  one  takes  things  quietly  and 
calmly. 

The  city  with  its  sky-scrapers,  its  tree- 
bordered  boulevards,  its  electric  lights,  its 
attractive  shop  windows,  is  a  thing  to  be 
wondered  at  and  admired,  but  how  much 
more  wonderful  is  the  big  golden  moon 
rising  over  fields  of  corn  and  wheat? 
Nothing  can  be  more  beautiful  than  a 
stretch  of  meadow  where  sleek,  contented 
cows  graze,  no  scene  can  surpass  rolling 
hills  draped  with  the  soft  purple  veils  of 
evening,  and  never  can  city  air  equal  the 
sweetness  that  comes  with  the  odor  of 
new-mown  hay. 

The  man-  who  owns  a  few  acres  of 
Mother  Earth  should  realize  that  he  is 
one  of  the  fortunate  few  who  have  free- 
dom. The  mother  who  rears  her  children 
surrounded  by  reverent  hills  should  go 
to  her  rest  every  night  with  a  thankful 
heart. 

Fresh  air,  wholesome  food,  freedom 
from  nerve-racking  noise,  tiijed  muscles 
that  induce  restful  sleep,  are  a  few  of  th: 
farm  treasures  that  the  combined  wealth 
of  the  cities  cannot  buy. — D.  C.  Retsloff. 


Buy  and  Read 
"REDEMPTION" 


By 

OCTAVE  F.  URSENBACH 

A  Comprehensive  Forty-eight  Page 
Epic  of  the  Divine  Tragedy,  in  which  is 
Beautifully  Disclosed  the  Creating,  Peo- 
pling and  Redeeming  of  the  Earth  with 
its  Ultimate  Place  in  the  Roll  Call  of 
Other  Redeemed  and  Celestialized 
Worlds. 

PRICE  FIFTY   CENTS   POSTPAID 


Order  from 

OCTAVE  F.  URSENBACH 

211  West  75th  Street 

Los   Angeles,  California 


ZCMI  UNIT  SET  CYCLORAMA.  STAGE.  IP  WARD 


We  Specialize  in  making  up 

Stage  Curtains  and 
Draperies 

Modern  and  up  to  the  Minute. 

Our  work  shop  is  equipped  with  the  very 

latest  appliances. 

Gall  at  Z.  C.  M.  I. 

Drapery  Department 

Let  Our  Decorator  Give  You  an  Estimate 
FREE  OF  CHARGE 


Nowadays  when  the  skirt  reaches  the  ankle  the  deduction  is  that  something 

has  slipped.- — Norfolk  Virginian  Pilot. 

*  *      *      * 

"Next  to  a  beautiful  girl,  what  do  you  think  is  the  most  interesting 
thing  in  the  world?" 

"When  I'm  next  to  a  beautiful  girl,  I'm  not  worrying  about  statistics." 

— Virginia  Reel. 

#  *      *      * 

At  the  close  of  the  November  Fast  meeting  in  one  of  our  wards,  the 
presiding  officer  arose  and  rather  hesitatingly  said:  "I  hope  no  one  will  attach 
any  political  significance  to  my  suggestion  that  we  conclude  by  singing,  'Let 
us  oft  speak  kind  words  to  each  other.'  " 


SALT  LAKE  COSTUME  CO. 

33  WEST  BROADWAY 

COSTUMES.     One  of  the  main  parts  of  every  show 
The  essential  of  every  masquerade 

MASKS.   A  little  diversion  is  good  for  the  best  of  men. 

PLAY  BOOKS.   Thousands  to  select  from.     The  largest  and  the  best  list. 

TOUPEES.     The  greatest  factor  to  bring  back  your  youthful  appearance.     Evening 

Gowns,  Wedding  Dresses,   Evening  Suits.  Silk  Hats.     Everything  suitable  for  the 

most  select  social  affairs.     We  save  you   money. 

Send  to  us  for  anything  you  need  to  make  your  leisure  more  pleasant. 

Catalog  free. 


SALT  LAKE  COSTUME  CO. 


P.  O.  BOX  998 


WASATCH  999 


WHEN  WRITING   TO  ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION   THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Individual  Sacrament  Sets 

NOW  IN  STOCK 


Best  in  the  market 
IT  ill  last  a  life   time 
36  glasses  in   each  tray 


RECOMMENDED  BY  PATRONS.   REFERENCES  FURNISHED 

Made    especially   for    D.    D.   S.    Churches,   and    successfully   used    In    Utah    and 

Inter-Mountain    region,   also    in   all    Missions   in    the    United    States,    Europe,    and 

Pacific    Islands.      Basic    metal,    Nickel    Silver,    heavily    plated    with    Solid    Silver. 

SIMPLE,    SANITARY,    DURABLE 

Satisfaction   guaranteed.        Inquiries    cheerfully   answered. 

TWO   OF    MANY   ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

Mi.   Carmel,   Utah. 

We    have    received    the    individual    sacrament    set    in    good    shape    and,    speaking    in    behalf 
of  the  people  of  the  ward,  are  very  well  pleased  with  the  set. 
Mink  Creek,  Idaho. 

We  received  the  sacrament  set  in   good  shape,  and  we  are  very   well  pleased   with  it. 
We  wish  to  thank  you  for  your  prompt  attention. 


Temple  Block 


BUREAU  OF  INFORMATION 


Salt  Lake  City 


"Do  you  know  Lincoln's  Gettysburg  address?" 

"No,  I  didn't  even  know  he  lived  there." — Purple  Cow. 

*      *      *      * 

Doctor:  "I'm  afraid  I  have  bad  news  for  you.     You  will  never  be  able 
to  work  again." 

College  Student:     "Whatda  you  mean,  bad  news?" — Jack-o-Lantern. 

*t*  *p  *p  "p 

Teacher:     "Now,  Bobbie,  tell  us  when  is  the  harvest  season?" 
Bobbie:  "From  November  to  March." 

Teacher:  "Why,  Bobbie,  I'm  surprised  that  you  should  name  such  barren 
months.     Who  told  you  they  were  the  harvest  season?" 

Bobbie:  "Dad;  he's  a  plumber." — Birmingham  (England)  Post. 


GROWN  LARGE 

By  DOING  SMALL  JOBS  WELL 

"Distinctive  Printing  In  All  Its  Branches' 


The  Deseret  News  Press 


29  Richards  Street 


Salt  Lake  City 


WHEN  WRITING   TO  ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION   THE  IMPROVEMENT   ERA 


Advertising  Policy  of  the  Era 

We  accept  only  the  highest  class  of  advertising.     We  recommend  to  oar 

readers  the  firms  and  goods  found  In  our  advertising  pages 

ADVERTISERS    IN   THIS    ISSUE 


Beneficial   Life   Ins.   Co. 
Bureau   of  Information 
Daynes-Beebe  Music  Co. 
Deseret  Book  Store 
Deseret  News 
Elias   Morris   &  Sons 
Fleischmann's    Teast 


Jos.   Wm.   Taylor,   Undertaker 
L.  D.  S.  Business  College 
Salt  Lake  Costume  Co. 
Salt  Lake  Loan  Office 
Southern  Pacific  Lines 
Utah  Home  Fire  Ins.   Co. 
Utah  Power  &  Light  Co. 
Zion's  Co-operative  Merc.  Inst. 


All  the  big  nations  have  agreed  not  to  go  to  war,  so  they  are  now  building 
war  ships  to  give  the  sailors  a  ride. — Dallas  News. 

*  *      *      * 

"Husbands  should  share  the  house  work  with  their  wives,"  says  a  woman's 
paper.     We  despise  those  selfish  husbands  who  want  to  do  it  all  themselves.- — ■ 

Boston  Transcript. 

*  *      *      * 

Late  one  night  the  landlord  of  some  flats  was  called  up  by  a  tenant  who 
inquired:  "Can  a  landlord  interfere  when  a  woman  on  the  third  floor  quarrels 
with  her  husband  and  disturbs  the  neighbors  at  night?" 

"Are  you  one  of  the  neighbors?"  the  landlord  asked. 

"No,  I'm  the  husband."- — Times  of  India. 


FOR  A  CLEAR  HEAD- 
Internal  Cleanliness 


The  man  with  a  dull  sleepy  head,  a  jaded  appetite,  blotchy  skin  marred  with 
boils  and  pimples,  is  not  the  man  whose  grocer  has  seen  the  wisdom  of  selling  him 
Fleischmann's  Yeast.  He  is  almost  sure  to  be  the  man  who  is  troubled  by  constipa- 
tion and  its  accumulation  of  internal  impurities  that  result  and  which  show  this  way. 

Fleischmann's  Yeast  is  a  health-giving  food  that  makes  the  intestinal  tract  more 
efficient.  It  is  as  fresh  as  any  garden  vegetable.  It  is  not  a  laxative.  It  does  not  do 
the  work  for  the  intestines.  It  merely  strengthens  them  and  stimulates  them  to  do 
their  work   naturally   and   regularly   themselves. 

The  grocer  who  urges  his  customers  to  eat  three  cakes  of  Fleischmann's  Yeast 
every  day  is  doing  them  a  real  service,  for  he  is  helping  them  to  get  fit  and  keep  fit. 

FLEISCHMANN'S  YEAST 

At  All  Grocers 


WHEN   WRITING   TO   ADVERTISERS  PLEASE   MENTION   THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Physical    Nourish- 
ment is  Necessary- 

But  Not  More  So  Than  Mental  Food 

Every  home  should   have  a   library   containing   books  for 
each  member  of  the  family. 

"The  Glory  of  God  is  Intelligence,"  said  His  Prophet. 
Seek  knowledge  as  well  as  pleasure  out  of  good  books. 

LET  US  HELP  YOU  SELECT  YOUR  LIBRARY 

Deseret  Book  Company 

44  East  On  South  Temple  Street  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


JOSEPH  WILLIAM  TAYLOR 

UTAH'S  LEADING 

1872  UNDERTAKER  1928 

Beit  Equipped  for  Calls  Night  or  Day  in  or  Out  of  the  City 

Price  of  Casket*  at  Your  Suiting — Services  the  Latest  Advancement 

Phones  Wasatch  7600,  Both  Office  and  Residence 

125  NORTH  MAIN  STREET 


Fire  Is  No  Respecter  Of  Persons 

You  may  wait  till  tomorrow  to  insure 
but  the  fire,  may  not. 

"See  our  agent  in  your  town" 
UTAH  HOME  FIRE  INSURANCE  CO. 

HEBER  J.  GRANT  &  CO.,  General  Agents  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


WHEN  WRITING  TO  ADVERTISERS  PLEASE  MENTION  THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


MISSIONARIES- 


leaving  in  1929,  bring  this  ad  to  our  store  at 
your  first  chance  for  our 

Missionary  Gift 

It  entitles  you  to  a  discount  on  your 
supplies,  too. 

Watches,  Luggage,  Kodaks,  Fountain  Pens,  Brief  Cases,  Chains,  Bill  Folds,  Money 

Belts,  Razor  Strops,  Etc. 


(SlEGEL  JEWELRY  CO.) 

76  EAST  2*P  [SOUTH  STREET 


ASK  YOUR  DEALER  FOR 
Z.  C.  M.  I.  FACTORY-MADE 

CHILDREN'S 
ALLOVERS 

In    khaki    and    whlte- 
hacked  Denim  for  Box* 

Khaki      aad      Fctir 

Clothe*,  Dutch  Cat  for 

Glrla 

Boys'  Playsuits 

Btaea  1  to  8.     In  khaki,  Jeans,  and  white-backed 
Denim 

The  Famou 

Mountaineer 
Overalls 

give:  splendid 
satisfaction 


Suppose  We  Should  Guarantee  You  the  Fulfilment  of  these 
Desires— Would  You  Not  Think  it  Marvelous? 

Tonr  Income  to  continue  even  though  accident  or  Illness  ahonld  suddenly  snatch 
yon  away  or  render  yon  unfit  for  work.  An  Income  for  your  wife  a  eoUecej 
education  for  your  children.  The  ownership  of  your  home  In  ten  years  from  now. 
Ths  possibility  of  retirement  and  the  Joy  of  travel  and  leisure  In  your  later  years. 

Impossible!    Absolutely  not.     These  dreams  can  be  realised 
If    yon    act    now—Make    today's    hopes    realities    tomorrow. 

A  Beneficial  Policy  Is  the  Key  to  Success 
Blots  ont  your  worries— Being's  peace  of  mind 


Beneficial  Life  Insurance  Go. 

Home  Office,  Vermont  Bids;.— Salt  Lake 
HEBER  J.  GRANT,  President  B.  T.  RALPHS,  Manager 

WHEN  WRITING  TO  ADVERTISERS  PLEASE  MENTION  THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA